Aono's Kaleidescope
by Inu-shommaru
Summary: Tsukune Aono, human, completely average... right? In this iteration, not quite. A boy who has known the meaning of misery stands in his place now, and his crimson eyes glare into the world as a testiment to this. Will the kaleidescope change anything? Note: Crossover change successful.
1. The Beginning

**So, this is my second of two new projects and the first to be uploaded. I truly hope this becomes a much enjoyed, or at least entertained, story to you all. Note that this is primarily a Rosario + Vampire story with generally minor Naruto influences, and as such will _not_ be listed in the crossover section. **

**Disclaimer: I am not in possession of any sort of ownership over Rosario + Vampire, nor do I claim to hold any rights over Naruto... Osama Bin Ladin claimed the rights, you saw what happened to his ass... Fuck that.**

**Prologue: **The beginning.

He was nine when it happened. He stood in the darkened room, his face stinging and his body aching as his frayed and traumatized nerves fired in quick succession over his body and even more so in his left arm which was bent slightly at an angle, bringing attention to it's broken state.

Despite the pain which clawed at his arm in numerous spots, he gave not a sound and merely looked on, trying to both ignore the pulsing twinges and the masculine figure standing behind him, no doubt looking over his shoulder awaiting another complaint or sound out of him. His eyes, milk chocolate in color, were different from other children his age. Where most were filled with wonder and an innocence which could never be attained again by any force in the universe, his were hard and held not a shred of wonder within them despite his age.

They could be likened to obsidian, hard and cold with but the smallest shred of a glimmer which bespoke of having feelings beyond the void which now encompassed his being. Beyond the wall which was so concrete in it's formation it showed in his eyes, one could tell that there was a pit where everything he felt; all the anger, the sorrow, and the pain frothed and boiled upon itself.

A deep masculine voice grunted in satisfaction, in seeing the boy at least respect his place, if not submit totally to his rule of the house. Immediately a groaning squeak of an old worn down mattress creaked in repeated rhythms, the tell-tale signal that the two were at it again.

The boy sighed, glancing over his shoulder with a disgusted sneer upon seeing that the door was ajar and he could see that his god-mother was laid upon her back with that disgusting sack hanging over her, ramming into her as made apparent by the globes of flesh he could see bobbling on her chest. He crinkled his nose, feeling acid in his mouth from the sight. To think that she _allowed_ that thing atop her was baffling in and of itself, but when you think that she had been with this bastard for thirteen months, it was even more incredulous.

Blinking, he stuffed his one good hand into his flannel sweat-pants that doubled as his pajamas and held his damaged limb to his side, not daring to make a sound. He quickly vacated the hallway and made his way to his room, a modest room were it not for the dilapidated state of his room. The far edge of his room had about a foot where the floor was out, and somewhere in the closet a small water-pipe must have burst because there was mold forming near the floor.

Glancing about he supposed that it was better than the one boy a year higher than him in school who was forced out on the streets along with his parents when their mortgage was up. The boy sat down on his futon, one of the only new things in his room -new being relative, having gotten it with birthday money from a Salvation Army- and turned his attention to his arm which had began to show purple half-way between his wrist and elbow.

"Eighth time this has happened... Wish she'd just," The boy grunted, biting deep into his scarred tongue and drawing blood as he pushed on his arm closest to his elbow, trying his best to deal with the scraping pain which ground within him on the level that he imagined going into a wood-chipper would likely be like, "knock him to the road. Don't know why she stays with him." He panted between each word, whilst he took two pieces of board which he had picked up from the side of the road a few days earlier and broke it in two, placing the miss-matched lengths of wood on the top and bottom of his forearm and pressed on them, his eye twitching being the only sign of the pain.

It took less than a minute to wrap two leather belts around the wood and fasten them tightly to hold the splint in place. He lazed back with a sigh, careful to not jar his arm and bring the pain bubbling up again and blinked at the ceiling which had a distinct yellowing of age to it's normally white surface. He had long gotten accustomed to the life which he currently led, it was just one tragedy after another to the point that he now almost took it in stride, not even batting an eye as things afflicted those around him.

Grasping his school identification card absently, he held it before him on it's chain and glared at the brunette haired boy who stared right back with slightly softer eyes and the barest ghost of a smile crossing his face. He grimaced with an amused snort, "How long has it been since that Tsukune became this one? Around a year?"

The brunette boy closed his eyes, turning his head to the side on the pillow-less futon and felt his stomach ache with pain, both from blunt force and hunger. He wondered briefly when he last ate and remembered reluctantly that it had been almost three and a half days; that was the last time they had company over and allowed him to eat, well the last time he did, anyway.

His god-mother Matsuri would sneak him snacks and little plates of food whenever she could, whenever Ishin left to do his rounds. It was only during his absence that she was as she used to be; when she was sweet and caring, rather than just taking the back seat and allowing _him_ to run everything.

His musings and memories were interrupted by a hoarse feminine cry of lust and fulfillment, but most certainly not passion, which was muffled insignificantly by the rather thin walls. Tsukune scoffed, rolling carefully onto his side, effectively placing his back to the door and stared out of his window, the entire top panels of which were duct taped shut. A robin fluttered by and his eyes followed it unbidden until it passed his line of sight out of the window, causing him to let out a grudging sigh, 'If I only had wings, I would leave the confines of this world.'

His door burst open, the sound of the creaking wood giving only a scant second warning before the lock and metal catch in the doorjamb tore apart the frame and jarred the knob free of it's natural position to side in a warped angle, at least it would have if the force hadn't irreparably damaged it when it flew open and punched a whole in the wall.

The light brown and muscular form of Ishin stood in his doorway, his left eye, milky and blue signifying it's blindness focused on him with the assisted coordination from his right gray-blue eye. The short, and seemingly sparse dirty-blonde hair on his head was glistening in sweat as the man looked over the boy, arms crossed over his chest, "Learned your lesson, boy?"

Tsukune didn't respond, deciding that gracing the man with anything more than silence would place him as the victor of the after-math situation, and the boy would _not_ lose anything more to the bastard.

Ishin, however, hadn't gotten the memo and the silence only served to provoke the volatile man, "Silent game, huh? I thought we _talked_ about this, boy." He took a step into the room, tilting his head to the side to allow him to look even further down at the boy, a grin stretching across his face to show perfect, if slightly yellow teeth, "Oh well, we both know what happens now, don't we?"

Before Tsukune could react, the steel-toed work boots which Ishin wore to work slammed into his back, forcing the boy to let out a small whimper which was difficult to hear. Yet, it wasn't his back which caused it, rather it was that his arm jarred from the impact. The tall, dark man frowned upon the lack of his favorite sound from the boy and his lower lip bulged with the pressure his tongue made pressing into it, a sign that he was getting angry.

He stalked up to Tsukune who had quieted his verbal pain and rested his foot against his side. "Don't hold back, the sooner you apologize, the faster this will be over with," Ishhin said with an angry, gruff tone which was laced with amusement, and not a second later he began to rest more of his weight on the elevated limb, pressing more onto his ribs and straining the boy's breathing.

Tsukune was used to this, however. He would make Ishin mad, the bastard would beat him and Tsukune would leave the man's presence due to not being able to stand being around him without feeling sick to the stomach. Ishin would get his murderous rage controlled, usually by getting his rocks off with Matsuri, some random hooker, or via the punching bag in the backyard. Afterward, he would come to confront Tsukune to make the boy apologize, which he usually wouldn't until Ishin had broken a rib, finger, or possibly more. He would then mumble an apology and Ishin would leave him alone.

The brunette boy's breath went ragged after he felt more than heard a rib snap from the pressure and could feel the familiar sensation of the unsupported bone laying limp against his lung, an odd feeling to be sure. Another kick to the back elicited a slightly louder gasp of pain which apparently pleased the man because another, harder kick was issued a bit lower to Tsukune's back. That's what Ishhin would always do, kick him slowly up and down his back so that the pain both was all-encompassing and he had less of a chance of breaking the boy's back.

Finally, after another pressure treatment which had one more rib crack free from his sternum, or near it at any rate, as well as several more kicks to the back and a heel to the back of the head, Tsukune whispered in a hoarse voice, his mouth parched and throat strained from holding back the pain , "O-Okay, I'm... sor-sorry."

Tsukune waited fro the snide comment followed by the releasing of the pressure on his side and the waning sounds of foot-falls treading off through the house which would signal the departure of his tormentor. That's what usually happens but, for whatever reason, today was going to be different.

"Get up, boy." Isshin ordered as he grabbed Tsukune by the nape of his neck and with superior strength, hauled the boy from is laying position to a little bit higher than his own eyes, to look up at the boy. This was a terrifying experience as Ishin was easily six-foot four, possibly more from what he could tell and that put him at least two inches above the man now.

"W-what?" The frightened and confused response eked from his mouth in a far more timid way than he had wanted. His hardened brown eyes shifted frantically around, landing on his tormentor's face no less than seven times. The dirty blonde half-Japanese man chuckled and dropped the boy who fell in a heap at his feet, his arm clutched to his chest with an eye squinted and teeth gnashed to deal with the pain.

Isshin immediately rammed his fist, adorned with numerous rings which were engraved and one which had diamond inlay, into the boy's cheek, leaving a series of gashes across his face, "I've figured that you ain't learned anything in the last year, so I think it's time to re-educate you in a new way." He stood over the boy, eyes narrowed and a n oily expression and his nose and upper lip curled in a sneer.

He reached towards his zipper and with a foreboding grinding whine, the flap was opened and fear welled up in the pits of Tsukune's stomach for the first time in a long time, and another sensation soon came upon him reminding him even more of that day; the day his parents had been murdered.

The world slowed to a crawl, so slow that it was difficult to see that anything still had motion to it, despite the fact that it did. Everything was so sluggish, so slow in it's movement that he was easily able to follow the man's hand as it parted the bronze-lined cloth flap and began to reach within.

He wasted little time, taking an advantage when he saw one and rushed the man before him, cocking his right fist back and ramming it between his spread legs. The man yelled in unimaginable pain as one of his 'boys' were struck directly, and while Tsukune heard the sound perfectly normal, his eyes had seen the man take nearly eight seconds to register the pain and another thirty-six to fall to his knees in pain. He could even vaguely see the warbles and distortions which the sound waves caused.

'Now's your chance,' a soft voice in the back of his head murmured, it's genderless voice sending a chill up the nape of his neck, 'kill him'' Tsukune's body froze in place, his right fist raised to punch the man in the mouth and hopefully shatter the synthetic teeth which he proudly displayed and claimed to be his true pair.

'What, kill him?' The brunette questioned himself, feeling like a fool for talking to himself in such a way. He was about to write it off as a stress-induced hallucination when it answered, this time having a deep, yet still genderless voice, 'Indeed, kill him. This will be the only thing that will stop him from hurting you.'

The logic was clearly sound; if the man was dead then there would be no way for him to possibly hurt him, to change his god-mother into the lifeless husk which she seemed to become when he was around. Yet, there was fear there, fear that killing him would change him into the man that Ishin was or set him on a path to become like him. Oddly, the voice spoke to him, 'You will have an unquenchable anger, but not from the man. You have a hard life ahead of you boy... Your destiny is in your own hands, but your experiences will always influence your actions. Ultimately though, you are who you make and allow yourself to be.'

The boy nodded to himself once and raised his left arm, as painful as it was and glanced down at the brace he had made for it, allowing a smile fueled with irony and not the least bit of rage towards the man cross his lips. The two wooden bits had been mismatched for a brace as the one which sat on the bottom of his arm stuck out to just before his knuckles and seemed to have a sharp edge originating on the southern-most left edge of the rectangular object.

"Good-bye, Ishin. I'm glad you allowed me to skip on today's lesson and I'm sorry to say, I won't be showing up for anymore." Tsukune stated pleasantly before coking his left arm back and braced himself mentally for the onslaught of pain. Just as he was about to close his eyes and launch his fist forward, the voice told him to look the man in the eye; let him know by staring him down through his death that he, in Tsukune's eyes, deserves his death.

As the wooden pike leaped forward and pierced Ishin's blind eye, his good eye dilated in pain and a choking sound lurched forward from his throat, the pain and the jolt of his brain being punctured was apparently to great to put a sound to. The last thing the child abuser and would-be molester saw in the black-encroaching vision were two blood red orbs staring at him with two languidly swirling comma marks in each eye.

**As an author, I am pleased with my prologue as it is and could only hope that you are as well. That being said, as a _reader_ I wish I could have made it longer, but every time I tried, it began to lose its edge. **

**As stated above, this is the second of two projects which will be updated fairly often (pending certain circumstances) as a way to both entertain you all, entertain myself so I will not simply burn out on writing a single story and most of all, to assist my punctuation, grammar, and overall writing skills so I do not have to rely on the likes of the often faulty auto-correct.**

**Ah, one last thing; I will have a poll placed up on my profile within the next two weeks -possibly even today- that will be giving hypothetical descriptions of similar, but not exact monsters which will have various usages in both this story and the other. Your job, readers, is to vote for your favorite based on the given description that fits the parameters I have set. **

**With that, I leave you these parting words. If you have deigned to peruse my work, then do review it for me. Remember; the more critical you review, the better I can become. Yet keep in mind that one cannot run on mere criticism either; praise goes a long way when coupled with a detailed critical eye. **

**Run along, but remember your favorite author, now. **


	2. Wiping the slate clean

**Guten Tag devoted reader, perusers, and those lost in the inter-webs late at night. I am proud to announce the second chapter is officially up. Two reviews... I admit, I had hoped for five, but any at all is a success in my book. Even more so is the fact that they took the time to think up an actual reply, for which I immensely thank them. **

**I would also like to note that anything that seems like a plot-hole has a ninety-five percent chance of _not_ being one; it will be revealed or elaborated on later, and should remain a mystery that will pick at your minds. **

**Review response: 2**

**Pyromania101- I thank you for your review, as it brought up the fact that I had not thought of Kyoko. You shall yet see if she lives or not, but do not await it to be revealed within the upcoming three chapters as it will be a bit later than that. I toyed with the idea of giving Ishin a 'final thought', but it just worked better without one. See, to me, I picture this guy who _knows_ with all his being that he rules the household, and that nothing will topple him. He has not a doubt in his control over Matsuri, and the boy would never do anything. So, when Tsukune kills him, it's one of those moments where you are too shocked to even _think_, y'know?**

**Beyond that, I can safely say that he won't "bash" any of the girls in the harem, but he will be rather... unapproachable, and he will not take the early encounters with them in stride, save perhaps Moka. I have not given up any of my stories, but a great deal have a large case of writer's block. Despite a few being up for adoption, I still plan to -unless they are taken- continue on with them.**

**PrankK1ng- I sincerely appreciate your review, and as for Ishin's last thought, refer to the explanation in my reply to Pyro.**

**Disclaimer: Once upon a time, I dared dream of owning the rights to Rosario + Vampire and Naruto. I dreamed of making Naruto the powerhouse he should be, and of watching Tsukune grow from his modest, and slightly bitchy self into a man... A man who wouldn't shy away from Kurumu, who would demand respect from Inner Moka, and who would whip Rubi like we all know she desires... amidst this wonderful dream, Freddy Krueger came and killed me with a long purple dildo. Under threat of impending death, I admit that I shall never own them, ever...**

**Chapter 1**: Wiping the slate clean

For years he had been mystified, terrified, horrified, and extremely enthralled in just what it was that had happened when he was five. He remembered it clearly, though he admitted the impact that the memories had on him had dulled through the years; as the further it got away from him, the more it seemed to be less and less from his perspective and more from simply a disembodied perspective. At least, that's what it seemed like in the beginning.

When his god-mother had brought him home from his first year of after-school martial arts classes, he had been perplexed when the radio station had interrupted the unique mix of rock, hip-hop, and d&b the station played for 'breaking news', something that he had decided was complete malarkey, or so his father had stated no less than ten times. What confounded him was that his god-mother had gone pale and turned up the radio right before she mashed on the accelerator and began to rush home faster than ever; a feat due to the fact that she was, on numerous occasions, mistaken for the little old lady driving fifteen in a fifty.

When they had reached his house he was further confused and began to worry as he felt the pull that was now oh, so familiar to him known as foreboding- that sick, stomach twist that accompanies the butterflies in the stomach when something was inevitably going wrong. His god-mother had stopped at a checkpoint upon turning a corner into his neighborhood and began to talk to the police officer in hushed tones, trying to protect Tsukune from hearing the wrong thing until she was completely sure about what happened and how to say it if, indeed, something grave had happened.

She and the officer of the peace had been so caught up in being hushed that they failed to notice, until the door slammed, that the brunette boy had escaped the van and was now on his way up to the house. Many of the officer's fellow men on the scene had attempted to stop the young child by blocking his path, yet had over-estimated just how different in terms of endurance and agility a normal five year old had in comparison to one who had been learning martial arts for the better part of a year. True, the difference wasn't great, but it was _enough_.

He remembered exactly what had been within the confines of that peach colored house with the faded, and cracked shingles which he lived within. No doubt it had made many of the officers who had first wandered onto the premises gag, and was certainly the reason one of the men who sat by a police car -doubtlessly a rookie- was trying his best to hold back tears whilst on duty.

Tsukune couldn't help it, he couldn't look away from the horrid yet mesmerizing sight that ensnared his senses, not because he didn't want to, but because his body literally didn't have the will to move beyond the minor action of falling to his knees. The image which burned into his retinas even after he had been hauled off and placed back in his god-mother's powder blue minivan, it was all he could see. It was so all-encompassing that he didn't even notice, at the time, that the four minutes it took to grab him from the house and take him back to the car had the illusions of being half an hour long.

Thinking back on it, Tsukune now knew exactly what had happened whilst he gazed at his own face in the mirror, his body shivered as he then spied the policeman speaking to his mother as, outside the door, two ambulance personnel were pushing a gurney on which the deceased body of Ishin lay within a black body bag.

The clenching of his abdominal muscles was causing him to feel sick, though Matsuri assured him that she had it taken care of, something along the lines of knowing the current head of the police who just so happened to be one of her best friends throughout her schooling years, and it happened that he had several favors which he owed her from their time in school as well as a few years beyond that.

She at least proved she knew him, a Matsumoto Wabisuke, when she picked up the phone and requested to talk to the head of the department. She began the conversation in a friendly enough way, but it quickly escalated to a more business-like conversation, ending with Matsuri giving him a worried smile and going to stand by the door.

He shrugged his shoulders and turned his attention back onto himself, or more specifically, his eyes. Tsukune stared at the pair of chocolate orbs in puzzlement, unsure of what to make of them. He was certain, without a doubt, that moments ago they had been deep crimson in color with two odd comma, or perhaps tomoe-like markings swirling about the pupil lazily, and seemed to pulsate with a power that set him on edge, terrified him, and yet made him feel... complete.

Yet, as he gazed at his ocular organs now, they had returned to their coffee colored state and had not even the slightest hint that they had once been the mysterious red and black moments ago. Another thing bothered him; the voice which had accompanied him in the recesses of his mind was gone, or at least became silent. He was also aware that the time dilation was absent now and chalked it up, until he could prove otherwise, to the stress of the situation.

He wondered, not for the first time, if the fact that he believed that his eyes had changed without a doubt when there wasn't any proof was in and of itself proof that he was going quite insane.

"Tsuki-kun?" He heard his god-mother call for him, her soft voice quivering in an attempt to cover the sadness in her voice. Tsukune took a deep breath and let it out as he ran through a mental routine quickly, putting himself through a series of events in his life which dredged some gloom and sorrow from the depths of his shielded soul. Due to the recent developments, a great deal more of the negative emotions began to leak through when compared to what normally was to happen -that is to say, enough to cause him to genuinely look dejected and his eyes to gain a grief-filled glassiness to them.

He also felt a small tingling in his eyes, something which felt like the prickling of tears normally would without the actual feeling of the tears forming. Seconds later, the prickling manifested once more before quickly ebbing away just as he came into view of Matsuri and saw her standing beside a police officer who held a clip-board along his forearm in an inverted grip, and read from its contents.

Arching an eyebrow at her, he awaited the explanation as to his summons and was promptly given the reason, "This is Officer Morioka Iori, he wishes to take a statement from you." Tsukune nodded and was just as quickly given a respectful bow of the head from the brunette officer who then offered him a small, comforting smile, "Alright Tsukune-san, would you tell me what happened, son?"

The boy closed his eyes and pressed his lips into a thin line, "Sure, let's go into the dining room." Tsukune, not understanding that most children would be fearful of a police officer, nor knowing that most children would be in tears and clinging to their mother, led the uniformed man into the average dining room where a circular oak table sat, surrounded by five wooden chairs which matched the intricate, yet modicum amount of designs on the table.

The boy pulled the chair out for the police-officer and then walked to the other-side of the rounded dining table and sat himself down, across from the man who eyed him oddly with his hazel-green eyes. Tsukune looked across the room with a blank expression, save the negative emotions shown in his orbs, taking in the china cabinet which sat to the left of the officer against the tile-paneled wall and then moved over to the officer.

"Are you alright, son?" The officer inquired, concerned with the boy's lack of expression and even more so with the lack of panic in his physical tells. Tsukune blinked and nodded, "I'm recovering from it, but it still hurts some; I don't like how it feels." The officer nodded hesitantly and scribbled something down on his pad, then looked back up to the boy.

"So what exactly happened," Iori questioned, tapping his chin with the pen in his hand, "How did all this happen?" The chocolate eyed boy blinked for a moment and wracked his brain for an answer as to how he should respond; Matsuri had left the room when talking to Matsumoto, so he truly had no idea as to what the man had shared with his department, nor what she had even told the man before him as he had made the mistake of not listening closely to what was said.

Unlike most children his age, he knew that honesty was not the best policy in every situation. Yet, there were some in which such a thing was the only path which existed currently. A light-bulb went off in his mind and his blank expression minutely morphed into that of slight fear and confusion, "What did my mother tell you?" Iori shook his head, "I'm sorry, but I can't tell you; if you knew then your story is likely to change. I want to know what happened in your eyes."

Nodding, and inwardly frowning, Tsukune thought about his options: he could lie to the man, make something up which could be plausible in some fashion and would hopefully quell the man's curiosity; he could say that he wasn't there to witness it and ran into the room, but that would be easily disproved because he would bet that Matsuri had told them he was in the room, and he also had the blood and other juices on the spiked arm-brace which he still wore but had kept hidden under a long-sleeve shirt. Beyond that, there was the truth which seemed a sketchy path to take, at best.

The way Morioka Iori tilted his head, Tsukune felt that the man was either getting impatient, curious, or both as far as what was taking him so long to speak. Deciding he ought to speed up his decision, the boy eliminated making up the story and then considered the lie he could possibly tell the man. The best he could come up with was that the man tripped and fell onto a novelty pencil in his room, but it just seemed to absurd to use; the hole in the man's eye was easily as large, but it wasn't round like the pencil would have been, and he didn't _own_ a pencil, not to mention what Ishin had tripped on, or why.

It seemed that the only course of action would be to tell him the truth, not something he wanted to do, but the man had a look in his eye that was much like the one his god-mother's ex-boyfriend got, except not nearly as corrupted; the glint of determination to at least find out what happened.

Tsukune sighed, dropping his head a little and thereby falling out of his up-right posture, momentarily disheartened until he remembered some show that Matsuri watched and he over-heard quite a lot; something about criminal lawsuits, court cases, and the like. The boy blinked and began to pull what little he knew from it into his mind and looked over to the man, "It is my fault."

Confounded, Iori blinked and parted his lips but his voice stopped in their tracks as his eyes swiveled, trying to find a way to voice what question had arisen in his mind. He tapped the pen on his chin thrice and then 'hn'ed as he focused back on the boy, "What do you mean it's your fault? You feel that you caused what happened?"

The boy shook his head, "No, I mean that I killed him." The man sat up startled at the admission and knit his brows together as he absently wet his lips, "Alright... Why did you kill him -if you actually did."

The admission had startled the officer as he simply imagined that the boy had, at worst, witnessed it. From what his mother had said, he was in his room after being scolded by the man, and the man, Ishin Imahari, had entered to go talk with the boy an hour later. She herself had been in the kitchen when she heard her god-son yell out in panic and had rushed into the room to find that her boyfriend had fallen and had began bleeding from his eye. She said that she hadn't looked around him intently and thought he had an aneurism.

The officer was still hard-pressed to actually believe that a young child had been the cause of the older man's death; he was less than half the man's size, clearly didn't have the muscle tone the other man did, and the leverage he would need to actually do any damage would require the man to have been leaning back, or a massive force to pull him down onto something with either extreme kinetic force, or piercing force- two things the boy simply didn't seem to have the ability to make happen. Iori silently groaned, cursing his luck for getting such a case. It would make sense if it had been a firearm incident; plenty of children had accidentally gotten hold of one and had it gone off, usually wounding themselves or a parent in the process.

Momentarily, he toyed with the idea that the woman, Ichiwa Matsuri, had murdered the man and was having the boy say he did it, but the thought was dismissed just as soon as it was imagined; she had nothing to gain- no life insurance, no will inheritance, nor anything that could be liquidated due to a prenuptial agreement as the two weren't even engaged to one another.

He could remember a time, before he graduated, when crimes were simple to mop up, and it was only the crime rings and drug cartels which drudged out a case for a while; most were up within the week. He had a feeling that, baring intervention from the department head, this case would linger on for several months before a true consensus was met and the case was put to rest. The officer mentally sagged, feeling his age for one of the first times in some years.

The brunette man was brought out of his mental pondering and wanderings when the boy began to speak, only seconds having passed despite the feeling of minutes to the man, "Because... I was protecting myself and mother from that man." The answer was said bluntly, much the way a child his age would have, yet it lacked any of the childish bravado that would have covered any nervousness; it was simply stated as if it were the one truth in the world -as if, in a world filled with grime, it was the one proof that it had once been clean, in the boy's eyes. Iori mentally shuddered at the implications.

"You were protecting yourself and your mother? How so, what was he going to do?"

Tsukune took a breath, shifting his eyes away from the hazel eyed officer, "You say it as if he hasn't done anything before..." The boy bit down on his lower lip, gnawing on it for a moment, most likely an effort to calm his nerves, or to halt any memories from surfacing too strongly, "Aside from the first month that she was with him, Ishin has been a very mean man; he hurt both mother and myself many times."

Scribbling in his paper with his head down hid from the boy Iori's angered expression. So, the man was a spousal abuser, and even worse; he was one of _them_, so it was even worse as, as far as he was aware, _she_ was _not _If she had been, then the count on her would not have been so severe, but the fact that the boy was harmed proved just a bad, if not worse.

It explained the way the boy looked in his eyes, somewhat. There was a large emotional block in there that he could see, something which had been erected hastily, and reinforced over time to become on of near-perfection. Yet, it wasn't completely perfect from his perspective and the pain and _hollowness_ which seeped from the 'cracks' in the wall were somewhat perceivable to him. He wondered just how bad the boy had been hurt.

He finished jotting down some notes and turned his head up once he was sure he had hold of his emotions enough to not let them show on his visage. The black clad officer intertwined his fingers and laid the connected hands on the table palms down, "Would it trouble you to tell me what all he did? I understand if you don't feel comfortable telling me."

Tsukune gave a small smile in the way of a minute twitch of the edges of his lips upwards, "I would rather not reveal everything, but I'll indulge you; I'll tell you of some of the moderate things that he did." Getting a nod from the compassionate officer, the boy closed his eyes and let loose a ragged, tired sigh and Iori was sure that, for a second, the boy seemed to age beyond his years and black bags formed under his eyes.

"For the past year, Ishin has been in my and mother's life. It started out small, he would get annoyed with me asking mother to check over my homework for school, or I would get in his way when I was practicing some katas I learned in martial arts." Tsukune nodded absently, as if remembering something and continued, "He would call me a 'waste of space', and sometimes shove me out of the way. I felt bad, but it wasn't until three weeks after the first shove that he slapped me to the ground and then gave me this," Tsukune sneered at the officer, "expression, telling me to 'learn my place in the pecking order', that I knew something wasn't right."

The boy stopped when he noticed the officer going towards his pad and scribbled some more information for twenty seconds before he nodded. The brunette boy nodded back and was silently pleased to see that the man was showing signs of anger towards the situation. It was nice to know that people didn't just condone such things.

Continuing on, he licked his dry lips, "I told mother and she confronted him about it. He first tried to deny it, but she refused to believe him and continued to give him a... 'tongue lashing'? I'm not sure what made him snap, but the next thing I know is that my god-mother is on the ground holding her cheek, shaking and crying. The best I can tell is that he hit her so hard that she flew into me and knocked me out."

Tsukune reached up and pulled the collar of his shirt down to reveal a faded pink scar that had once been angry red which resided on the skin between his shoulder and collar bone. The officer's eyes widened a small fraction, "Did he do that as well?" Nodding, he explained, "I came home three months after they got together with my report card and showed my mother. She looked at me and smiled, and I'm sure she was going to congratulate me, but Ishin snatched it from her."

He sighed and let his collar go, letting his eyes drift to the table, "My mother always brags about me, about how supposedly smart I am, because I only ever have two grades below fives at any given time. Ishin looked it over, then grabbed me by my neck and tossed me into the kitchen. He said that for someone so praised for being smart, I 'sure ain't the perfect student', then he used a steak knife and cut my shirt open."

Tsukune allowed his eyes to wander to the walls and up them, stopping whimsically on the edges where the paneling met the ceiling, "He said that if I couldn't make perfect scores on my own, then he'd make sure I did to ensure that mother wasn't a 'lying bitch'. He said that for every grade not a five, he would stab me- incentive and a reminder to do better."

Iroi looked the boy over and tried hard to conceal the grimace that threatened to rip through his slightly pained features -the best he could manage without looking completely livid at the situation. Iori had been seen many things in his day, but he had little experience in the ways of the world's domestic cruelty. Despite several years as an anti-gang special forces unit member, and several more as a security guard, he had only recently been transferred to Federal Investigations, where he was made aware he would sometimes have to deal with pediatric cases, though they were rare. This was his first case of that kind, and he was already seeing why many of the officers seemed disturbed slightly. He absently wondered what the worst cases that had been happened upon were, but quickly reasserted his attention to the boy.

"How many times?" He questioned, and the boy understood and answered promptly, "I was stabbed five times; four report cards in total." Nodding, the man quickly jotted it down and was about to ask more when the boy to the initiative, "By the seventh month, beatings were common. It was on the same frequency that other children got hugs from their parents."

The officer gave a grunt and the fire in his eyes lit up immensely as an angered breath escaped his nostrils which were flared, despite the attempt to keep a calm visage as not to frighten to boy. "One in particular stands out, despite it not being physically bad" Tsukune continued, "It was the start of summer vacation and I had come home, excited because I had passed with all fives. I ran into the house and found..."

Arching an eyebrow, yet wary because of the way the boy's story was panning out, he prodded softly, "You found what, son?" The boy held a single finger up and blinked thrice, then licked his lips once more, "They were... joined," The boy narrowed his eyes with a sharp nod, to confirm the man's suspicions, "on the couch. Ishin apparently didn't like the intrusion and freed himself and then tossed me into the corner, breaking my nose. He told me to stay there and _watch_. Said that if I made a sound, or tried to move, then he would know and both mother and I would pay for it."

The man spent several moments in silence as he let the information absorb into his brain, and used that time to regulate his anger as well. Finally, he asked with a dangerous edge on the tip of his tongue, "Where exactly was your god-mother's support in the beginning, and especially at this last time?" Placing his hands on the table, the boy looked the officer in the eye, "She was beaten and... taken... multiple times- not properly, I'm sure. He had beaten her into submission within three months, and any thought of helping me directly was halted when a knife was placed at her throat, or he threatened to kill me."

Nodding and scribbling some more in his note-pad, Iori swallowed the bitter taste that was in his mouth from the situation. It was unprofessional of him, but the man was glad that such a disgrace was gone. The way the boy spoke, the conviction in his words; the pain and anguish was far to potent to be faked, unless a master of the craft and he was sure it would still be difficult.

He knew he was going to regret asking the question which was coming, but he needed to know, if for no other reason than to have some closure and know that nothing more would befall the boy. With venom in his throat and a weary fog weighing on his mind, he inquire of the boy what happened that led to the man's death, supposedly at his hands.

Tsukune was silent, words trapped in his mouth for minutes as he remembered everything. He remembered how he had come to the room, what little excitement he could feel lazily coursing through his system upon feeling the edge of his growing top left incisor poking it's ridged form from the depths of his gums. He had wished to show his mother, wished to make her smile -something she had not done in nearly two weeks.

_He listened carefully, not hearing any of the noises he had grown accustomed to hearing, especially not the mattress' tale-tell squeaking. Assuming that he would get in very little trouble, he knocked on the door and waited. When no-one answered, he reached for the knob and turned it, finding it not secured with the lock and swung it open. _

_The first sight he saw was that man between his god-mother's legs, his hands squeezing her thighs non too gently, evidenced by the redness and the signs of bruising showing up. His mother looked at him, her eyes almost as equally dead as his own, though glassy with an unknown feeling resonating within them. _

_The second thing he saw was the face of the angry dark-skinned man glowering at him, his head now removed from the junction between her legs and a glistening liquid around his mouth. The man stood and back-handed the boy, sending him into the door frame with a stinging red hand-print on his cheek. Ishin then grabbed the boy by his neck and hoisted him up to eye-level, sneering disgustedly, "I've told you, time and time a-fucking-gain to not come into this room while we're in here, you stupid, fucking retarded shit-stain!"_

_On reflex, Tsukune brought his arm up to cover his face as Ishin's own swung backwards and then flew forward towards his face, fully intent on knocking the boy's teeth out and hopefully breaking his jaw so that the little fucker couldn't open his annoying trap for a while. With the arm blocking his path, it stopped short of his face and instead crashed into the appendage and with a loud, painful 'snap', his forearm bulged slightly and a small whimper escaped his throat._

_Satisfied that he had gotten some of his anger out, he tossed the boy to the ground and waited for the brunette child to get onto his feet, "You're getting dangerously close to learning that I ain't the one to have his buttons pushed." The man stood in the doorway, a sneer pushing up the corner of his nose as he stared disdainfully at the boy for a moment before grunting out, "Retarded fuck."_

He swallowed and then wet his drying lips once more, taking a breath, "I went to my room after that and, using a few pieces of wood that I picked up from a trash pile on the side of the road a bit back, created a splint for my arm -after resetting it, of course." Iori visibly shuddered and felt his stomach flop -a feeling that was hardly identifiable amongst the sickness and anger he felt coursing through his veins- at the thought of the boy resetting his own arm.

The man took the moment to scribble down more of the events on his clip-board's notepad, simultaneously swallowing more of the bile rising in his throat from sheer rage. He looked up and managed a nod to tell the boy to continue, and he did, "Ishin came into my room sometime later, breaking the door down in the process. He told me to apologize for what had happened, but I refused; I wouldn't be lowered to being apologetic to something that was not wrong, in any way."

Nodding in understanding, the officer smiled patiently at the boy and shifted his eyes quickly to the clock. He was shocked to see that nearly an hour and half had passed from getting the story -so far- from the boy. He snapped to attention when words once more flowed from Tsukune's mouth, "My silence caused him to kick me in the back with his work boots -you saw them, the steel toes- and then he began to stomp on my ribs. The medics say I have two broken ribs from that, fun fact."

With a breath, the boy continued, leaning back some in his seat, "Then he began his _favorite_ past-time. When Ishin was very displeased with me, he would kick me up and down my spine. Several average strength kicks and one with all his might every so often, all in different places." Seeing the confused eyebrow, Tsukune explained, "He told me once that it made sure that the chances of my back breaking were slimmer than if he was to just pound on one area. Said that it should make me 'thankful'."

"So he assaults your back, and then what?" Iori asked, closing his eyes to hide the anger which was likely showing within his orbs quite fiercely. Chocolate eyes blinked before their owner drew in a breath with trepidation, "I couldn't take it anymore; I apologized to him and hoped that the hollow plead would please him enough to make him go away." The officer felt a pang of foreboding, "And?"

Letting an uncomfortable grunt from his throat escape, he pressed on, "He told me that such an apology wasn't going to cut it this time. He picked me up by my neck and and dropped me to the ground. Next thing I know, his fist, which had his diamond encrusted ring on it, was hitting my cheek. That wasn't all though, he then proceeded to reach for his zipper and pulled it down."

Seeing the sick look plastered on the man's face, Tsukune gave a grimacing nod, "I couldn't let him do that to me; he had done so much to me and mother, I couldn't let him take another thing. I saw an opening and I struck." Iori leaned back and breathed out, the barest hint of relief showing on his face, though it was insignificant amidst the massive anger he felt for what the boy had gone through. It was then that he thought of something and naturally voiced it, "How did you 'strike'? You say you killed him, yes?" Nodding, the boy set his arm on the table and began to roll up the sleeve whilst giving an explanation, "My brace which I crafted had a segment which was vastly longer than it should be," Tsukune revealed the slightly stained wooden brace to the man whose eyes widened, "I punched him with my good arm to throw him off, and then rammed my brace through his eye and into his brain."

Silence fell over the two for nearly a moment before Tsukune spoke up once more, "Thanks to an act that I am loathe to have committed, this nightmare is over for both my mother and I." The boy sighed and looked towards the man across from him, his eyes then trailing to the table, "If you must, I'll go into custody if you will leave my mother alone; she could do little to help me without endangering herself or I."

His worries were eased swiftly though when the officer shook his head with a friendly smile, "Neither one of you will be going to jail. The courts will see this as a case of self-defense on your part, and after hearing this, I can alter my report a little to make sure that your god-mother isn't liable to be held accountable."

An expression of visible shock appeared for a scant moment before it was quickly covered for and silence stood between them for a few seconds longer before the boy cocked his head to the side with a narrowed eyebrow, "Why? Why would you do such a thing?" He was answered with a kind smile from Officer Iori, despite the bitterness which seemed to ooze from his pores, "Because, Tsukune-san, your mother and you have both been through a great ordeal. I couldn't live with myself after hearing what you've gone through if, in this world with a perfect, yet corrupt, judicial system, either of you were punished for escaping that torment."

For a time, Tsukune stared down at his own hands, his mind going over everything which the officer had said as well as everything which his mind could remember. Through several minutes, which seemed like hours or perhaps days to Tsukune, he reviewed everything and came to the conclusion that the officer was correct, if only barely. Looking up, the boy gave a grateful nod, "Thank you, sir. Though, I do feel odd knowing that an officer of the law is going to violate the law, itself. For my sake, no less."

Giving an ironic snort accompanied by a solemn half-smile, Morioka Iori eyed the boy wearily, "It would be nice if it didn't come down to that." He sighed, feeling an old tugging at his soul and, for the moment, forgot he was speaking to a child; the things he had been through, the obvious intellect in his eyes, and his articulateness helped the man's mind toss the image of a child from his mind for the moment, "When I signed up, I was ready to go out and patrol the streets, to take in any thugs from the streets, break up drug deals, investigate crime scenes to help get the right guy. That's the stuff of fantasies when you're working with the government. In a world where government officials can be bought off, where bribes are accepted, and where loyalty pulls stronger than duty, the only way to ensure that the little people get the correct justice and that those truly deserving are punished, you must be willing to _properly_ corrupt the system."

Tsukune blinked, astonishment barely visible in his eyes and his facial features lightly twinged with the shock. The theory made sense to him; if the system you're using to judge between those guilty or innocent became corrupt and was reduced to a game of favors and politics, then it was up to those whom gave the judicial system the information for their cases to _edit_ and _correct_ that information and evidence so that the 'favors' were forced to fail, and the political players were pushed out in the open, or discouraged from making the courts their battle grounds.

In a sense, the true assessment of justice was in the hands of the 'little people', before it got passed to those who sat in the more 'important' echelons of society and law. It was up to those whom investigated and reported to the higher ups to make up for the mistakes which those further up the chain had a chance of making, so as to ensure that they didn't have the opportunity -without stepping into the light to face their own justice.

"I'm sorry, I... I guess I just couldn't hold in my lesser frustrations. Sorry about that, son." Morioka Iori apologized, a tired, sheepish smile accompanying the penitence. He was answered by a small shake of the head, "Don't. It's fine; I understand your fatigue." One generation looked upon another and felt an odd sense of pride that was only marred by the disturbing fear that pooled beneath it. A child which could comprehend such things was either well studied and had one hell of an open mind, or he had encountered such a situation before...

_...or both._

Turning a worried eye to the boy, he began softly, "Have you tried to tell someone about this before?" Tsukune nodded after a moment's hesitation and went on to explain that he had been sent to the school nurse after his teacher had caught sight of some bruising on his arm, more so than would normally be there from 'horseplay'.

He went on to explain that he told the nurse that he had been hurt when he fell down the steps at his house and that she would have bought it, had his sweating from the recent physical education class not marred the foundation Ishin forced Matsuri to place on his cheek to hide the bruise from a particularly nasty back-hand. The woman brought in the counselor who forced him to divulge a small scrimmage of what happened, which he downplayed further, before she would let him go.

"That night," Tsukune revealed after a sigh, "Two police officers came to our house and investigated. I had just been pushed into the wall and cut my ear on a sharp crack from an earlier assault on the wall, and punched in the back to further vent Ishin's frustrations. So, all the evidence on my body, plus two fresh wounds, as well as the multiple holes from fists, and the general _atmosphere_; all of it should have pointed to abuse, and it did."

Iori frowned in bafflement, but voiced nothing as Tsukune continued, "The police officers left, and I was nervous when Ishin rounded on me not ten minutes later. He revealed that the men were friends of his and that, with an added incentive of money -_from my college fund_- they weren't going to say anything -and they didn't."

The officer grunted and shook his head. It was a disgrace, to think that the bonds of loyalty would extend to someone who beat a child in such a way... It made him wonder just what vices they, themselves had that enabled them to stay quiet about such a thing. His stomach churned with the physical sickness he felt brought on by the mental wondering and facts he had taken in.

Several hours later found the family two family members standing at the door, the sky now a hue of dark oranges and violets with the setting sun and the long bars of clouds which remained in the relatively clear skies. Three lone stars could be spied, one of which was twinkling in the night sky to the far east.

Officer Iori stood before the family who had been exchanging parting words and glanced down to the boy with a comforting smile and determination in his eyes. He knelt and and fished something from his pocket, whilst Tsukune and his mother looked at him curiously. It took only a moment for him to produce a chain which seemed to be several linking hoops that were three centimeters thick with the centers having a decagonal punch-out, rather than a pure circular one.

As the man let it fall from where it was bunched, both of their eyes were drawn to something which weighted down the chain on one end. Tsukune's eyes widened, as did Matsuri's, for different reasons, but revolving around that which hung on the chain; a pure silver two inch by one inch thick wolf head, carved with so much detail and care that every tuft of fur and every whisker follicle was included.

Taking the offered item very gingerly from Iori, sparing a glance to insure it was alright, he missed Matsuri sending a shocked looked towards the police officer who glanced over to her with a perplexed expression. It was only when the woman looked to the necklace now in her god-son's hands, being looked over with concealed wonder, that the Morioka man gave a sheepish smile and shrugged.

By the time the boy had slipped it over his neck and looked back up, the brunette officer was walking back to his car, only to call over his shoulder, "Don't let your youth jade your lookout of everyone in the world; there are people out there who you will be able to find some sort of kindred spirit with, I promise."

**A look into what Tsukune endured during his time living under the tyrant known as Ishin. Do remember that he only revealed the mediocre things which happened. There are still secrets and horrors to be revealed. **

**Another Morioka? What purpose does the pendant hold that was given to him by Iori? How will Tsukune progress beyond this point, now that the worst chapter of his life is over with? Continue reading to find out.**

**So, remember when I mentioned that my updates are pending on certain situations? Well, I rely on a WiFi connection from my small town's shopping center, so it is rather difficult to have a concrete update schedule, especially when I must balance the temperature outside (Friggin' car lacks an A/c or heater.), my gas money, my job, and my personal life between it.**

**At any rate, I hope this chapter has been entertaining to you all. Remember, I enjoy a good critiquing as well as any opinions you have on my writing style. Who knows, you could help me catch a plot-hole as Pyromania101 did. Perhaps, if an idea of yours melds good enough, I may use it -or a version of it- in either this, or my other story. You will be given credit, if I do, rest assured.**


	3. Growing up Aono

**Good Morn, Afternoon, or Ass-crack of midnight all. This week has been a rough one for me... Dude, I swear, some ass-hole almost got shot -not by me, some other fucker- for making a racist slur... I've never seen an Indian man so angry in my life! Wasn't Ghandi all about peace and happiness and what have you? Jesting, my friends... as far as the Ghandi thing goes. **

**At any rate, I'm glad so many people enjoyed my last chapter! Five Reviews! Hell-Yeah! That's what the fuck I'm talkin' about! I appreciate them all, and here I will thank and answer the lot of you.**

**FC3Rulez- Hmm, I'll have to look that up and see for myself. Interesting to think that someone had a similar idea for the title of the story. I was toying with calling it Aono's Mangekyou, but... it just don't fit well. Are both his and my own story similar, or is it just the names/descriptions that are the coincidence? It'll probably two weeks before I am able to truly read it for myself, so will you indulge me a bit to the answers I seek? I thank you if you do. **

**Leonidas Of Olympus- First, great name! Now, onto more important matters- Thank you for the review, it means a lot and says even more that you've taken the time out to do so. Hmm, I can see how you misinterpreted that the abuse started at five- I should probably clear that up; The abuse started when he was Nine, but what deviated him from who he _would _ have been (in the Manga/anime/canon) is that something happened to his parents when he was five, forcing his god-mother, Matsuri, to take custody of him. I hope that clears it up for you, dude. **

**Zen Neeon- I try, I try; the ways people get out, barely changed, or completely succumb to the gloom and darkness is an intriguing facet to me. Oh, there will be tension, but about what? That is the million-dollar question, heh. I'll do my best to keep the updates consistent, and thank you.**

**Pyromania101- Heh, I have a pretty... disturbing mind. Seriously, you'll see when he reveals some of the more hurtful things Ishin did and had him do... Maybe even some repressed memories? Hmm, well shit. Thank you for bringing that to my attention; I had simply thought that it was a preference, not a tenant of grammar... I'll try to cut down on that; it'll still be there for a few more chapters, just cut down some where I can as I have up 'till chapter five written already... gotta keep some space between me and my update times -insurance so that none of you suffer long while I get shit in order in my life, if such a time comes.**

**Yes, he has the Sharingan, the red-eyed gaze from which many deaths have and will be stained upon the Earth. The voice? Well, you'll just have to find out on that one, won't you? I sincerely hope that when it is revealed, it's at least a, 'Well, shit.' moment. Such is the world we actually live in, and sadly the amount of good, non-naive cops is dwindling to replace honor-bound drones and more corrupt fools...As far as the chain goes, just keep in mind that for every good deed, two bad ones are done somewhere in the world.**

**I do have to question, why would you think I'd bash them in the first place? Have there been some people who _do? _Unfortunately, I can't quite say that he won't hurt Mizore, partially because I'm not there yet -and my story, aside from a general outline kept in mind of where I want the chapter to go, writes itself. So you appreciate the abruptness and pitilessness of his death in the first chapter? Good.**

**I can safely say that he won't meet Akua until it is time for him to do so... whether that is before he typically does, or before, I can't say... He already has, far before Iori, but only if you're truly shrewd in your perception will you see whom I speak of. Eh, I know a lot of people are just trying to get their fiction-fix before personal life bites them in the ass... though, I do wish a third of everyone who read it through did so. Meh, every review I get makes it more worthwhile, so I won't be picky.**

**PrankK1ng- Indeed, it was quite the scrape-by, wasn't it? Such lessons will be taught every now and then, though whether they are blatantly pointed out or something that wisps by in the background on a stray few words. Well now, I can't quite promise that... By statistic, and personal experience, I know that most people who go through even a fraction of the shit he did end up with some form of complex, insanity, resentment, or obsession. It's just whether we succumb to it, persevere, or exist somewhere in the gray that determines who we become. **

**Disclaimer: /Statement/ Your Mother! /Inquiry/Why, you ask? /Explanation/To assume my Master holds the funds to truly own these two franchises is nothing more than idiocy, meat bags. /Condescending Inquiry/Hk-47? You think that's who I am? /Condescending statement/ I am -Your Mother!- and I reside in -Your Mother- fucker... Go, go away now... leave... you've more important things to do, like read below this... Go, now! **

Blood red eyes cast their baleful gaze across the algebra and calculus books before them behind half-lidded eyes. Lazily swirling tomoe orbited the central pupil which had contracted to just marginally larger than a pin-prick. Page after page flicked by them with only thirty seconds between each page being revealed before it was promptly flipped over.

Despite this, the information on each page was memorized word for word, without a single discrepancy or error. He would forever remember the information, more so than even the most traumatizing moments in his life, more so than even the things he held most dear. When he had reached the end of his life-span, when all of the synapses in his mind had mostly died off, or the connections failed, and his memories were but muddled images amidst a deep fog, he would still remember this information in the same clarity that he was seeing it in now.

The eyes were obscured for just a moment when the lids closed in a blink before they were revealed once more to the world, though non were there to witness it. Tsukune Aono, fifteen years of age, sat in his room with his text-book sprawled open on his clean and made futon. The hard-wood floor glistened in a new layer of finish, and the dark brown door made of oak was closed, the dead-bolt below the door knob positioned in it's locked status.

The walls had been repaired, and a new layer of wooden paneling lay over where the damaged wall had once resided. Two windows let in a thin stream of light onto the floor through two deep burgundy curtains which had been semi-closed. A three-bladed fan ran on it's medium speed overhead, sending currents of semi-cooled air down to the teenage boy.

It had been six years since the incident with Ishin had been resolved, and things had only progressed from there for the family, collectively. Matsuri had quickly came out of her funk and enrolled herself in out-patient rehab for close to a year, where Tsukune had found out that the bastard had introduced heroin into her system as a way to make her more... agreeable and devoted to him. It easily explained her lack of action, care, and her excessive fear over carefully worded threats from Ishin which, at the time, made little sense to her.

She had later gotten a job as a school counselor in the high-school which she hoped Tsukune would be attending. Almost two and a half years after starting her job, she had brought home a man to introduce to her son who was, understandably, extremely cautious and wary of the man- something which only Matsuri was able to tell due to her god-son's further reclusive attitude.

The boy had, since the incident with Ishin had passed over, curled in on himself slowly. He became less expressive of his emotions,, so much so that other than the barest changes of his word's pronunciations in their -now default- monotone, she could just as easily roll a die to guess how he was feeling. He had also buried himself in books; at first it was school-work, but by the end of the second year, it didn't matter what it was. He would read everything from books on mythologies, to astronomy, to law, to world history.

Beyond the books, he pushed himself into his martial arts which he had taken back up within the second month after Ishin had left their lives. The boy had looked through all of the known types of martial arts and made numerous calls to locate a dojo which taught one style which he found, a rare style called 'Kage Tora no Mai', also known as the 'Dancing Tiger Fist'. He had come upon this particular art whilst looking for something which had more to offer than basic Kung Fu and Karate, but wasn't quite as reliant on circular movements, like Bagua Zhang. After a month of searching different sources, Kage-Tora no Mai popped up.

From then on, he had been steadfast searching for a master, or dojo which would be able to teach him. It was yet another three month long search that finally yielded someone who would be able to teach him. Ironically, it turned out to be the cousin to his physical education teacher, a man who lived on the coast of Shikoku, nearly twenty miles from Naruto, where a moderate sized fishing village existed.

After mailing the man about intentions on possible lessons, he was assured that he would be trained when he attained a minimum of brown belt in Karate. It would take him four and half more months to get from his green belt to a brown belt. From there, it took almost a month of doing odd jobs and saving up allowances to purchase water taxi tickets to get from his home -which Ishin forced Matsuri and he to move to two months into his relationship with her- in North-Western Kobe, effectually on the outskirts of the city, to the village where the man, Asura Momochi, would be able to teach him.

Of course, Matsuri proved to have an issue with it whenever he brought it up, until he had her talk to the man and agree to accompany Tsukune on his first trip, so that she would know exactly where he was if she felt the need to report anything happening. She had become rather protective of the boy once the events with her ex had passed; an attempt to repent for her lack of protection from that man.

Asura Momochi turned out to be unlike he expected in a sensei. The man lived off on large sand-bar about ten minutes of a boat travel away from the small unmarked fishing village in a moderately sized house made of wood. Despite it, the house was made in a semi-traditional Japanese way, seeming to be in the fashion of rice-paper walls and sliding doors, if the outside was anything to go by.

The man who met them after their arrival was even further from what he thought. Instead of a forty-ish year old man who was empowered with several lean muscles, either a shaven head or slicked back semi-spiked hair, as was the popular style at the moment. This was far from what he received in a teacher. This is not to be confused with disappointment however, despite the fact that, at first, he was.

When the door opened, the man who greeted them spoke in a gravely, hollow voice that bespoke of a long life in which the cons outweighed the pros. It was a voice that would have chilled anyone who heard it -such as his mother- but for him, it made him suddenly realize, truly, that he wasn't alone in the feeling. It was odd, to say the least.

Stepping out from the shadows of his doorway, an obviously bald bandana covered head peaked out and a white bandages which covered the majority of his face were exposed from the sunlight, leaving the tip and nostrils of his nose, his left eye, and his left cheek exposed to reveal very tanned skin which was marred by several blemishes and old, faded scars which almost hid the overall gaunt and slightly concaveness of his cheek and eye socket.

A lone, milky, honey brown eye shifted down and bounced between the two before resting on the boy with an apathetic air, wondering of his purpose. He moved further into view to reveal that he wore a basic Chinese shirt, dark gray in color that had the sleeves removed carefully revealing slightly wrinkled arms which still held somewhat wiry muscles beneath the stretched skin, though his left arm was bandaged from his shoulder to mid-bicep. Coming out just an inch from beneath the bandage wrappings was a small patch of taut, shiny skin with numerous blotches of coloration, signs of third-degree burning sometime in his past.

The lower half of his body was clad in a pair of black pleated slacks which seemed to have seen a long time of activity, they were very faded in spots and around the knees they seemed to be close to fraying and giving way to holes. A closer look showed that the cuffs of his slacks, resting above the wooden geta, had been frayed and had several small lengths of cloth peaking out randomly. An improvised belt made of rope, likely tied in the back, had an added piece of style in a tanned snake-hide which went over the rope like a sleeve.

"Greeting, Momochi-san, my name is Tsukune Aono; we have mailed one another over the possibility of my apprenticeship under you. This is Matsuri Ichiwa, my god-mother." The boy bowed his head in respect of the man, and then promptly straightened himself.

The man of, at least, fifty years gave a short bow of the head and seemed to glance between the two of them in silence before letting loose a soft breath, marred and warped by his gravely sounding throat, "Asura Momochi, greetings."

The man invited them in and the two graciously entered the man's home to find that it was larger than it appeared, having a fairly comfortable living area with a small television, a single counter separating the living area from the kitchen where an electric stove sat, confusing as the boy had sworn that he had seen a wood-burning stove outside.

A bathroom sat on the far side of the house, its sliding door closed along with the two other rooms at the back of the house, likely a set of bedrooms. The wooden floor creaked as they walked about the house to set themselves on one of the eight mats which surrounded a small table before the television.

Not waiting for pleasantries, other than grabbing the pot of tea boiling on the stove and pouring them all a cup of the cinnamon accented green tea, he immediately went into business, "So, you're here to learn Dancing Tiger Fist, are you, gaki?"

The boy swallowed that bitter tasting herbal brew before nodding, "Indeed; I wish to learn something that isn't so... basic as the standard Karate and Kung Fu, yet had more movement application than the Eight Trigrams. I-"

"-What do you plan to use it for?" Asura interrupted gruffly, lowering his re-purposed sake dish from his face, and upon seeing the perplexed look, reiterated, "Why do you wish to learn it?"

He responded quickly, "I want to learn Dancing Tiger Fist because I need something that will allow me to protect my family."

The man lifted his bleary eye from where it had been staring into the dish which reflected the light from the almost empty container to Tsukune's own brown pair and gave a low hum, "A good answer, but your full intentions are not being stated. Tell me, now."

Brown eyes widened for merely a second as an odd sensation of pressure and heat ebbed off of the man, a feeling that struck fear in some primal part of him, yet warmed his skin almost comfortingly, despite it feeling like steel talons poised at his neck. When he felt another burst of the odd sensation waft off the man, he knew he was taking to long and the man was becoming agitated, accented by the narrowing of his eye.

Tsukune soon had an answer for the man, "I want to protect the few that are close to me from anything that may harm them, and I want to be able to protect myself from the same."

The man nodded, but still held a small glint of disappointment in his milky eye, "Yet you're still leaving out one, tiny, tiny bit, aren't you?" The boy's eyes turning downward just a fraction was all he needed to know the truth, "I know why you want to learn, boy. Every reason, in fact."

Despite the boy's shock which quickly turned to a non-verbal admission of disbelief in the way his eyes began to twinkle and the small upturning of his lips in a amusement, the man was not lying. He could, clear as day, see the reasons the boy wanted to learn to fight with this style as if they were etched into his face, and in a way, it was.

Silence permeated the room for a good five minutes as the guests waited for the man to begin talking again, and as time went on, they began to feel slightly out of place, and the feeling just grew as time went on. It got to the point that Matsuri was constantly looking towards the door whenever she thought that Asura wasn't watching her and chewed on her lower lips harshly, causing them to feel raw to the woman.

With a final slurp however, the tense silence was lifted as the pot of tea was finished off by the mono-eyed man who spoke up after clearing his throat, "I'll teach you, gaki." The sharp -to him- excitement that he began to feel was promptly cooled and swept under a proverbial rug as he reigned himself in and even more so by his would-be senie's next words, "You'll be learning from me, but I will assure you that it won't be a toss in the pond, or a walk in the park." The man closed his eye and took in a breath, "If you are looking for something easy and quick to pick up and advance through, then leave here, immediately."

Hearing no scuffling of clothing and the mats, not to mention the floor creaking as a sign of him, or both leaving, he nodded and his brow crinkled a bit, "If you wound easily, or cannot take pain then leave here, immediately." Still, neither moved significantly, though the boy's mother seemed to shift nervously. His brow crinkled further and his voice got slightly rougher, "If you feel that you will whine, or cry about any tasks set before you, leave my presence, now."

Again, there was little movement, and he bared his lone eye open, it's pupil seeming to loose some of the murkiness and gain a little bit of color back into it's brown iris as the odd feeling that had swept through the building twice appeared once more, "If you show any sign that you are going to go against my orders, then know that I will ensure that you _never come here, again._"

Finally, for the first time, Tsukune shivered the barest amount and was a second away from showing more emotion before reigning himself in and offering a small smirk, negligible to all but the keen of eye, namely Asura. White medical bandages seemed to warp around the area that obscured his mouth from view, giving the distinct impression that the man was giving a feral grin to the youth across from him and nodded, this time directing the action to the brunette, "We begin two days, be here at O' six-hundred, gaki."

The boy stood and began to walk past the man and make his way to the door when he was made aware that his mother had yet to stand. Raising an eyebrow as he looked over his shoulder, he noticed that the man was staring intently at his god-mother. As he was inhaling to speak, Matsuri turned to him and smiled, "Go wait outside, I believe Momochi-san wishes to speak with me." He received a nod in reciprocation from the man whose back was to him. Understanding, the boy assented and quickly vacated the house.

Sometime later his mother exited the house with a weary, worried expression and fixed the boy who had been sitting beneath one of the meager trees which had somehow been planted on the sand-bar with a disbelieving look followed by a shake of the head before she called to him, beckoning him to follow her to the small boat which had been beached by the two upon arriving.

The boy returned home and his mother had quite the talk with him about what was to happen at Asura's dwelling when he went for his training the day after. It had been a long, nice three hour discussion between mother and son, which left both parties slightly shaken by the information the woman had recited to her god-son.

Awakening the day his training was to begin, Tsukune was quickly made aware that four O' clock was quite the unusual time to be waking up. He grabbed himself a breakfast bar after dressing himself and hit the road on a bicycle until he reached docks with the water taxis, only to find that they were not operational at four in the morning. The annoyed boy returned to his bike and went about crossing the bridge into Naruto, and then made his way to the fishing village in some unknown amount of time.

By the time he had made it out to the sandbar, Asura was standing outside of his house with his one visible eye closed, his bandaged left arm gripping onto a polished cane which seemed to be made of a white oak, or perhaps a yew. As Tsukune approached, the elder man's eye opened and seemed to regard the teen with some curiosity, "Have you an idea of the time?"

Hiding his hard breathing behind strained muscular control and flared nostrils, the brunette boy shook his head, "No, no I don't... Do you?"

A grunt was his answer as the single milky eyes narrowed a bit and, unbeknownst to Tsukune, his grip on the cane tightened, "Indeed I do," The man stated with a slight edge of danger tinging his words, "It is currently Oh-seven-fifteen... You're late, gaki." Before the boy could respond, he was cracked upside his head with the cane, causing him to loose his balance upon feeling the force and the stinging pain.

Yet, he didn't register it and merely felt the anger which boiled within him, remembering the bastard who had hit him a while earlier in his life. In spite of this, the boy snorted and got up, a defiant glare burning into the bandaged man's body. If Asura was affected, or even noticed such a thing, the man didn't bring any attention to it and instead, he turned his back to the boy and began to walk towards the house, only stopping to look at the teen, "If glaring into the sand is your preferred activity, then do it on your own time; I've far better things to do than train you, boy."

With an indignant grunt, Tsukune reigned in his anger and covered himself with a mask of indifference as he went forth towards the man who had agreed to train him.

Throughout the day, the man had the boy going through many of the meager katas and stances which he had learned with his experience of the past classes in martial arts. The boy found it to be tedious, yet he knew that this was but a review so that the man would have an idea as far as where he stood.

As the day went on, the more stances Tsukune showed Asura, the more the man would correct him and nudge an arm back, or a foot forwards a tad. Sometimes he would straighten, or bend the boy's entire stance and body stature past the 'proper' way which it was learned in.

As the boy returned home that night, nearly all of his known forms had been broken down and reconstructed by the rare martial arts master, from the ground up. As the boy showered and dressed himself, he felt the fatigue in his arms from preforming so many of the stances and having them meticulously looked over with the literal critical eye of the injured man, and decided that this was either the greatest decision in his life so far, or the worst.

From that point in time, the boy would travel to Asura Momochi to have his lessons with the man. It took time but the boy eventually began to learn from the man his desired style of martial art, the Dancing Tiger Fist. Oh, and what a remarkable prowess of power and technique it was, but even more so than that, how utterly frustrating was it to get down the kata and stances, as well as to execute some of the movements.

He had learned, through watching and later learning, that the style was used to confuse opponents into launching into attacks which were not really called for in the situation; it was just as much a style of defense as it was a way of subtly manipulating your opponent into a sense of false security, or false perception.

Beyond that, it was designed to allow the one who practiced it to stop and reverse or easily dodge any and all attacks launched from a larger opponent, or one far more physically stronger than you. In that, speed was essential, and it was with this -and at the behest of Asura- that he decided to call the style something other than 'Kage-Tora no Mai', so that anyone who was caught in the cross-hairs of the style by him wouldn't have a way of finding it.

He named it, the 'Interceptor Fist', something which he felt, deep inside, was _right_.

As time went on, his training schedule with Asura began to shift to such a point that he would spend a week at the man's house and a week at his own over the summer, and would spend the entire weekend, save for the night of Sunday, at his sensei's whilst school was in session.

A year after his mother had introduced the man she had brought home, Izuma Suigaku, to Tsukune, the pair revealed to the boy that they were planning on getting married within six months, Izuma having asked for her hand that very day on their date. The brunette boy had glared at the man, scoffed and walked off before he allowed the negative feelings welling up within him to overtake his rationale and cause him to loose control of himself.

Speaking of, Tsukune Aono -he refused to change his last name, under any circumstance- had found himself becoming far more enraged and easily roused, even though he hid it well. It worried the teen extremely, but it would be another year before he would have an answer to the problem that plagued him so.

Despite his reaction to the knowledge of the two becoming engaged, Tsukune had found himself feeling comfortable around Izuma. The man had an oddly uplifting aura that surrounded him, and his outlook on life was both one that saw everything at it's foulest it could become, yet still retained such optimism that it was surreal.

Izuma had confronted the boy as to his attitude towards him and his utter disregard with any interest in getting to know him. Tsukune had responded with, "Why should I? You're just an asshole hiding behind a guise until you can 'lock' the relationship with my mother into place; then you'll show your true colors." The answer had confused the man who confronted Matsuri on it and, after several long discussions during which she had tried to turn the subject away, had pieced together most of what had happened to both her and the boy.

The man had approached Tsukune once more, with knowledge in hand. The answer had been almost the same, save with some words in place of others. Yet, when Izuma sat down beside the boy and sighed right before launching into a story of his own youth, the brunette boy found himself enraptured in the blue-black haired man's story.

"My father abandoned us -my mother, brother, and I- when I was just two years old. I grew up with an effeminate elder brother who had the emotional range of a wooden spoon, and a knack for hiding himself away from everyone until he got hungry; a mother who was overly worrisome of me and tried to fight all my battles for me, as well as drilled it into my head that I should obey anyone older than me. "

Izuma took a puff of of the cigarette he had lit mid-speech and casually looked out the corner of his eye from where he was slightly hunched over to look at the boy beside him, "My best friend as a child, from age four 'till nine, was this brat -let's call him Junichi. The kid turned out to be the worst kind of friend, though I wouldn't know it; my only interactions were, as I mentioned, between my mother and brother up until I entered school."

Another ring of smoke exited the clean-shaven man's mouth as he adjusted the collared shirt's collar, as to make it stop poking his throat, "This guy, man, he was a dick if you've ever seen one. Bastard would invite me over to play a game of basketball that would quickly turn into a game of dodge-ball, all aimed at my head. Call me stupid, certainly naive, but I thought it was normal for people to play that way and made no complaints about it. Not even when, on several occasions, I somehow was hit with the such force by the ball that it knocked me onto the concrete where my head was busted open. 'Course, he didn't help; just laughed, or ran away to his house."

"Hell," Izuma gave a humorless laugh as another cloud of the smog escaped his mouth, "Even if I _had_ told my mother, she wouldn't have cared- or rather, she wouldn't have done anything. Just go talk to his father- a drunkard who wouldn't do anything- and consider that enough, then bother me for weeks as she fussed over my health, irrationally"

With a loud scraping, an ash tray was brought closer to the edge of the table before the couch the two were sitting on for Izuma to put his cancer stick out in, "Now, you know how I mentioned about the obeying authority thing?" He saw Tsukune nod out of the corner of his eye, "Yeah, well... Junichi was a good year and a half older than I was, so naturally..."$

"You believed and obeyed everything he said," Tsukune finished for him in his usual monotone, and received an erratic nod.

"Yup, right on the money, Tsukune." Izuma leaned back and wet his dry lips, his almost black eyes staring at the ceiling and the fan which spun hanging from it, "I should have questioned it -I did, but; rather I should have acted- when he introduced me to a friend of his and had me 'barrow' several albums of music and several movies from him. Even more so when he took me to the gas-station down the road and told me to pick some candy and a drink or tow; he'd pay for them, and top meet him outside."

"That's not the extent of it," Tsukune inclined his head a tad, "is it?"

"I wish, I truly wish." The elder of the two let out a sigh and blinked, "Unfortunately there's more; by the time I was six, something far more insidious than the previous things had happened and was happening. I-I don't feel like going into detail about it, but..." He glanced around, his half-lidded eyes opening fully as he licked his lips nervously and began wringing his hands together, "I don't know how he knew about such things, nor why he even felt the need to... to put it to use, but... over three months of coercion, he sort-of brainwashed me into ignoring my gut and..."

Tsukune blinked curiously, a slight pang of pity for the man ringing in his bowels from the suffering the man was feeling. Another feeling, a pulling at both his stomach -above the pity- and in his forehead told him that it was something traumatizing to the man, "He molested me, for three long years -though I would try to evade him and keep myself away. I-I knew, deep down that it was wrong, but... I couldn't coordinate it with my mind, like It wasn't registering, or something. If I could... If I could, I'd go back and rid that bastard from my life before it ever happened... Yet, I don't completely hate him- in fact, I pity that sorry sack of trash more than anything..."

Glancing over at his mother's fiance' in bafflement, the boy asked with the slightest hint of ambiguous emotion, "You _pity_ him rather than hate him? How could you possibly?"

Izuma sighed and gave the boy a side-long smile, despite the sadness in his own eyes, "Well, you see, it's like this; Junichi was just a year and a half my elder through all of this and you must figure that, at that age, it would be highly illogical to assume he would simply jump into the kind of behavior that he acted upon on his own."

Izuma reached into his pant packet and retrieved a small pack of cigarettes, seemingly empty with the way it was crinkled, until a single bent white stick was produced and promptly lit with the clear lighter which had been sitting in the cellophane wrapper around the blue pack. After taking a drag off of the addictive item, the suitor of Tsukune's god-mother continued, "To that end, I can only imagine that he was repeating actions done unto him by a family member of his own, likely his uncle -creepy asshole, he was."

"Yet," Tsukune stated, an eyebrow quirked upwards, "you said you only pity him, not hate him. Why not both?"

The man pursed his lips, holding the cigarette in place with his teeth, "Because, I realized that he didn't understand what he was doing was truly wrong -not on a conscious level, anyway. Junichi knew no better, and to hate him for his own loss of innocence and subsequent ignorance over his actions would make me the bastard in the situation, in my mind."

Blowing out twin streams of gray smog from his nostrils, the man continued, "Though, in truth, I did hate him for a time. It took me until I was twenty years old to realize that he most likely didn't know what was happening, and a year after that to loose my hatred of him."

The last Aono cocked his head slightly to the side, "What made you realize it?"

"I'm not quite sure; I just found myself thinking on it more and more, especially when the night terrors began to plague me. I guess that it just clicked into place eventually," Izuma admitted with a slight shrug of his shoulders as he took another drag from his cancer stick before blowing it out in a series of rings with a slightly amused smile. Silently, Tsukune stood and left to his room with an absent-minded wave to the man. He had a lot on his mind.

From that point in time, Tsukune found his disapproval of the man who his mother fancied to fall rather quickly and while he didn't become chummy with the man, the two had a respect of sorts for one another and were civil, almost friendly. It wasn't for lack of trying on Izuma's part, but the man eventually figured out that the civility he was getting from the boy was a great boon and he decided to finally take the gift horse, rather than examine it's mouth.

The wedding had been postponed when Matsuri had been rushed to the hospital over her gal-bladder nearly bursting, where they also found that her appendix was dangerously to becoming jaundiced as well, and bursting. Luck prevailed though, and she recovered successfully, though she had missed her wedding date by nearly a week.

Such a thing was fickle, though. In light of her new found health, Tsukune's god-mother and Izuma had decided to enjoy it and let such a thing not even cause a dent. They set a new date for two months and four days away from the day she was discharged from the hospital, April sixth.

After the marriage had taken place, and on the hols of Tsukune's last year of intermediate school, Izuma had been called into the local ONI; Office of Naval Intelligence center. It seemed that his naval reserve card had been pulled along with several others to take part in guard detail along Japan's coastal waters on the missile frigate Amagi. He would be at sea for nearly three months, assuming everything went well, then would come back to port and be on leave for two weeks before another three month stint whereupon completing, he would be placed back in reserve.

The first tour would go well, and within that time, Tsukune would continue his current path academically. That is, he would be completely average of all of the students, despite his knowledgeable mind and yearning for more to devour and assimilate. His reasons for such were quite complicated on the outside, but at the root of it all, it was truly very simple: Tsukune knew that the effort to stay at the head of his class was worth it; he knew the rewards that he would reap and they were merely marginally better than if he did as he currently was.

'Foolish of you, boy,' a genderless, yet deep voice intoned with most certainly a sneer in the recesses of his mind, bringing him out of his thoughts for the moment.

He blinked and his crimson eyes flecked with two swirling marks around his pupil shifted to stare blankly at the ceiling. After a moment of concentration, the brunette teen felt his conscious mind press against a presence near the edge of his mind, 'What is foolish?'

What could only be defined as a mental thump echoed in his mind accompanied by a muted and translucent gust of wind which was neither felt nor heard, yet was still there. Raising an eyebrow at the ceiling a fraction, the Aono boy awaited an answer whilst ignoring what he knew to be a scoff from the voice.

It spoke up again, this time in what could only be a condescending tone, based on the chosen words, 'Willingly sacrificing your future merely due to a feeling of apparent inadequacy when compared to the others in your class. That, or you simply _are_ far inferior in cognitive thought than the others.'

Letting a low growl rumble in his throat as the corners of his eyes thinned in a glare, he mentally hissed, "As a matter of principle and fact, I am far more intelligent than the vast majority of those within my year and one higher. Do not presume me to be a fool for my own plans."

A soft series of rumbles -a chuckle- came from the recesses of his mental realm, 'Oh, we know you're _smarter_, we are merely unsure of your common sense; the fact that you hide it and preform just at the bottom cusp of 'average' is cause for alarm to us.'

"Then what," Tsukune began aloud in a whisper before correcting his mistake and continued within his mind, "pray-tell, is concerning to you; you know precisely why I chose this course of action. You can hear my every thought."

He got the impression that the entity speaking to him waved nonchalantly in a dismissive manner, 'Indeed, you expressed your concerns, yet we have yet to truly understand how intentionally sabotaging yourself falls into place. One would think that such a situation would be incentive to try _harder_.'

The boy sighed in slight frustration as he blinked twice, "Because, I will not get anywhere in this world beyond an average man's pay and an average to below average job with the way I currently am. My family has two-thousand yen left over after the bills are paid, and Izuma does not have the connections and strings to pull to get me a higher education beyond high-school."

The voice seemed to sigh and, despite lack of emotional tone, he got the impression that it was annoyed, 'Yes, but that does not mean that you will not make those connections in the coming years, or make enough money to pay for college education, yourself, boy. So why?'

"Why? I will largely not move beyond a job as a cashier, or if I'm lucky, management of a convenient store; I don't have the personality, nor as I mentioned before, the prestige or connections to have a word put in for me." Tsukune grunted and turned his eyes back towards the slightly wrinkled pages of the book he was currently scanning through, "'Sides, with just enough effort to graduate with averages, I give myself time to focus on other things, like learning things beyond the curriculum and training myself."

For several moments the voice was silent, before it spoke up again, 'You may not have the prestige and connections, but you could use-'

A grunt interrupted the voice as Tsukune lightly turned his nose up, "Yes, I _could_ use it, I could make them believe anything and everything. While I'm at it, why not crown myself ruler of the world all the while I waste away due to laziness from being used to having everything given to me on a silver platter." The presence of the voice shrunk itself slightly in his mind, and Tsukune let out a soft breath, "I apologize for that, it was rude of me. But, I will not be casting illusions on anyone merely to move up in the world; it seems so shallow to do something like that."

'We are merely looking out for ourselves and our progeny, boy. Your hexameral report will be given tomorrow; whether you pass or fail is included, remember?'

The boy nodded, but sent a mental affirmation along with it, knowing that such physical mannerisms were not perceivable by the voice, "Of course. I've both dreaded and waited for this day. It is truly hard to gauge how the professors will take my work; it's like juggling my own skill with how they see me. They could easily discount credit from me for any number of things which I refuse to do on paper to get my answers, costing me valuable points towards a grade."

The voice seemed to concede and replied with, 'For professionals, they certainly have a knack for acting out of their confines.'

The boy gave an absent nod and flipped the last page in his book before letting a soft breath escape his lips. Casting his crimson eyes around the room, he pondered how the house had been repaired and changed over the last few years, yet the emotional taint of the events which had polluted the place still remained and dampened his spirits, regardless of the progress he had made in ejecting the mental damage done to him by the man -what little progress there was to speak of.

The boy felt the slight heat in the back of his eyes and closed his lids, veiling them so that he could mentally picture the source of the heat. With just a second of concentration, the string of thermal energy snapped and faded and with it did the presence of the voice into the further catacombs of his unconscious mind. Upon opening his eyes, deep chocolate had become the prime color, and no trace of the crimson eyes remained.

Shutting the book and gingerly setting it to the side of his cot, he leaned back, placing his hands behind his head and gazed at the rotating blades of the fan above him and the painted white ceiling from which it hung. He considered for a moment the possibility of him failing his classes and felt a shiver pass through him as a small fire broiled in his veins, angered at the thought before it faded. No, he wouldn't fail; he couldn't. True, he had very little chance for advancement once he graduated, but if he _didn't_, well then... he was _fucked_.

Aono wasn't sure when, but he had quickly fallen asleep as he thought of several contingency plans in the event that he did fail. That night, he was plagued with dreams that combined his past with Ishin, the contents of his parent's house, and failing his high-school entrance exams. All the while, the voice in the back of his mind orchestrated his life and brought tragedy upon him with a maddening laughter that transcended time and space.

The next day, a slightly dejected Tsukune pushed his way into the house, dropping his backpack haphazardly next to the love-seat which Matsuri and Izuma currently occupied. The two, who had been in each others arms, Matsuri more in Izuma's, turned to the boy and inquired, "Tsukune, what's wrong?" The boy glanced up with guarded and disappointed chocolate eyes and retrieved a neatly folded post-card sized paper from his pocket which he promptly handed off to Izuma.

The man looked it over, and by the time he reached the end, his brows had risen to a height that set them beyond his hair-line. Silence prevailed and permeated the room as the man showed his wife his god-son's report card who turned pale, before her cheeks gained a rosy hue. She turned, her eyes baring onto the boy before her who glanced over at her and loosed a sigh, "You... failed?" Her voice was soft, even, and the words were pronounced ever more perfectly than usual. Even her slight lisp over 'f' was minimized to a proportion that it was almost inaudible.

The boy merely nodded his head, "Yes... I failed, mother." She closed her eyes as her muscles tensed, her free hand squeezing into a fist as she took three calming breaths, and then stood, "I can't believe it..." Despite it being muttered, he knew that it was directed to him, and the disappointment put a gash in his proverbial heart, though not much of one. She looked to him, her eyes blazing with a barely contained fury, "I told you didn't I? I told you to stop the nonsense with holding back, didn't I?"

He lowered his head, "Yes, mother. I just thought.." She bit back, "You thought wrong, didn't you?" The boy didn't verbally reply, instead he merely nodded languidly, his body feeling heavy. "I-I can't believe it. I can't believe that my bright Tsukune failed!" Matsuri whispered harshly, turning her head up to the heavens and then palmed her face, rubbing her eyes.

Izuma stood up and placed his hands on her shoulder, "Honey, it's actually alright-"

"No! No it isn't!"

She rounded on him, her face scrunched in anger and her head slightly tilted to the side as she swung her arm behind her to the boy, "He was supposed to graduate and then we were going to surprise him with _that_, but then he goes and fails and it just... argh! A year and a half of planning, gone to waste!"

"S-sweetie, Matsuri, I-"

"I just want to break something! Oh my, I've not been so mad in so many years!"

Matsuri turned and glared at her son, her lips pressed into a thin line as her glowing red cheeks, flushed in anger, were slightly puffed out as her nostrils flared, "I thought that, if I stopped ragging on you about your grades, you would finally see that you were screwing up! But, I guess, it's my fault for not staying on your ass!" She threw her arms into the air as tears began to swell in her eyes from her anger, slightly smearing the eye-liner she wore, "H-how did you get so... so... arrogant! I, I just... You failed!"

She cried out as the first tear fully dripped from its resevoir and trailed down her cheek, leaving a black-tinged path half-way down her cheek as she shut her eyes tightly and turned to Izuma, burying her head in his chest. The Naval officer wrapped his arms around the sobbing woman's back and leaned down to her ears, "Shh, shh, Suri-chan. It's alright, really." A muffled groan and several sounds that came from the woman hiding her face in his chest later, and Izuma ran his fingers through the copper haired woman's curly shoulder-length hair, "Really, you don't need to worry."

Tsukune cast a curious eye at Izuma, disbelief glimmering in them for a fraction of a second before it receded and left the default expressionless chocolate orbs in their place. He didn't know what his god-father was trying to pull, but it was likely going to get both himself and Izuma a greater tongue lashing, or get the man a nice long stint on 'couchy-inn'. The logic of the man trying to argue the severity of the situation was lost on him, completely.

After several moments of attempting to console the woman, she finally pulled away from him to reveal a vague face-print of wetness and black inky marks on his dark gray shirt. She blinked and sniffed, gently wiping her eyes after she cleared her throat, "H-how do you figure that it's all going to be alright! How could you possibly come to that conclusion? Hmm?" She inclined her head towards him, her hands on her hips as she did so.

Izuma held up a single finger as he bent down next to the cream-colored love-seat to retrieve his brief-case, a rutted and rough textured black outer casing was popped open by the two metallic locks bordering the smooth leather-bound handle. A soft creak and a pop as the metal hinges locked into place later, Izuma was ruffling through several papers that lay splayed under several bound and ordered packets of information and papers.

A soft groan escaped him as he began to leaf through the miscellaneous papers at the back of his brief-case with such speed and intensity that it was lucky the man didn't tear any of the papers apart. Tsukune cautiously took a step closer to sate his curiosity with a glance over the man's shoulder but was promptly forced to jump back as the blue-black haired man suddenly sprang upwards with a relieved exclamation.

He quickly turned and sat himself on the love seat whilst busying himself with the task of flattening out the wrinkles in the paper caused from his hasty search. Quirking an eyebrow at her husband, Matsuri sat down and leaned over his shoulder with a soft sniff, "What do you have there?" A crafty half-smile, half-smirk greeted her vision as Izuma explained, "This, love, is the answer to all of our immediate problems."

Seeing the slight turn of her head and the shimmer of intense curiosity mixed with disbelief dance across her orbs, he elaborated, "This is something a friend of mine gave to me when I mentioned to him our fears of Tsukune-kun's possible failing of the entrance exams." This got the boy's attention as he leaned in and locked eyes with his god-mother, exchanging a speculative glance with her before the man continued with nary a clue as tot he silent communication of their collective doubt.

"Oh? So who gave it to you, and more importantly- what _is_ it?" Matsuri questioned, reaching for the paper and taking it from her husband's hands as she began reading it over. Unfazed by the theft of the pamphlet from his hands, he chuckled and turned to Tsukune, "That's an enrollment form for an apparently prestigious private academy whose classes cover those of high-school, and they offer a great deal of extra-curricular activities which go towards college credit. A great bargain, if you ask me."

Tsukune's eyes widened very slightly, so small in fact that had Izuma not been around the boy for as long -and as often- as he had lately, he would have missed it completely. As it was, he barely caught it, but it made his smile widen all the more, "I was going to spring this on you and your mother in a few days anyway, so I guess this just speeds it all up, huh?"

"I-Izuma, how did you get this?" The slightly astonished and nervous voice of Matsuri asked as her high yet tightly knit brows floated above rapidly shifting eyes. Stifling his chuckling from the look of his god-son, the man turned to his wife, "I told you, a friend of mine in the reserves gave it to me; something about being asked by a friend of his to hand them out."

She nodded, but her eyes shifted upwards to the top of the pamphlet once more, "Did he mention who his friend was?" Izuma looked upwards in thought as he stroked his slightly prickly chin which was part of his growing facial hair that was not yet a five o'clock shadow, "No, I don't think I asked. Why?" She just shook her head and let her eyes glance nervously passed the informative page to her god-son who lowered his brow and turned his attention from Izuma to Matsuri, "So, what's the name of this school?"

Izuma looked to Matsuri with a smile who weakly returned it, her eyebrow slightly twitching as she cast a nervous glance side-long towards the man who she loved with all her heart. The pair then turned and looked to their god-son and simultaneously, Izuma with a great enthusiasm and Matsuri with great meekness and worry in her voice answered, "Youkai Private Academy."

**A psuedo time-skip where training, another life lesson, and a step-father of sorts step into the mix. Will Asura play a larger part? If so, how much larger? Youkai academy! -Le gasp- You all knew this was coming... though will it all be the same, or will I completely warp the shit out of it, in time? Who knows. **

**So, I have my poll up on my profile, with the first poll-y thing... Go do that... also, this just popped in my head, and I'll likely make the poll before any of you read this thing, but... in the case that I don't... tell me who your favorite girl from Rosario + Vampire is, and why -since I'll likely forget, why the hell not get a reason out of you all, non?**


	4. Enter Stangeland

**Good...whatever the hell time this happens to be. It's currently 4:18 am, March 12th as I write up this welcoming to the latest chapter of Aono's Kaleidoscope... intentionally spelled incorrectly, for those of you who -and I know you exist- were grated by it. At any rate, those who have been wondering about the length of time since my last update... Well, I said that there would be times in which I wouldn't be capable of updating near as often as I like; a long-ass string of out-of-town job interviews required me obtaining a few odd jobs to pay for the gas... Here's hoping one of 'em yields some reward.**

**Now, to answer my reviewers.**

**PrankK1ng- Eh, you're on the right path... but you've still got to find the gold nugget in this enormous ball-park. Thank you, now if I could only capture it perfectly in describing combat, then I'd be completely pleased with myself on that point... Aside from watching early Naruto episodes and playing the games, and thereby attempting to put what I see into words, I've got no other way to know just _what_ goes where, essentially. Asura is not, but they _do _ have a connection which you'll learn about quite a bit later into the story. **

**Pyromania101- Haha, thank you, my friend. Well, unfortunately that won't really be a big, huge reveal- rather a gradual thing, with a flashback reveal, more than likely... and that's not for a while yet. Indeed, I try to do the best I can with my grammar, but there is only so much I can do with myself. Yes, he heads for Youkai Academy, and the many (mis)adventures that await him there. **

**That's precisely the reason that he and Izuna can at least moderately tolerate one-another.**

**Wow... Dude, that's horrid. Hate Kurumu, by all means, but don't kill her! No, I can't and I intend to make a stronger, more powerful drive for her as well... As a matter of fact, I have something planned for each and every one of the girls to add depth to their 'why' factor. I agree with you about Inner Moka- possibly far more than you, yourself, do... I have a plan, and let's just say that it lays somewhere in the mythologies of the eyes and a small four-lettered acronym...**

**Jasper- I thank you for your review... I like the brutal honesty, and while you are entitled to your opinions, I must point out that the best stories tend to have their slow moments of character development... perhaps not in the method mine has, nor not in the beginning, but that's just my style. **

**Yeah, that is one of my failings; I feel inadequate in my own writing if I don't add as much detail as possible... then I realize it's far too much and must re-write the chapter again. By the time I'm done, I'm almost back to where I started. As far as a strong following- like that of Lord of the land of fire; I could care less... Sure, I LOVE my fans, PrankK1ng and Pyro being the fore-front pair, but I write for my own enjoyment... it just so happens that they like it too.**

**As far as coming to read Rosario Vampire, and not anything crossed with Naruto- even in the slightest, well you seem to have trouble holding to your inhibitions, as you most certainly clicked on it, and even read to the third chapter after the tell-tale sign – the word, 'Kaleidoscope' was clearly obvious to anyone. **

**So in conclusion, thank you for being honest, but if you didn't want to read it in the first fucking place, why waste your time? Maybe you were trying to help, maybe you're a punk who just blew his load and needed something to waste the time between the ten minutes before you could do so again... either way, thanks.**

**DBZFTW- Well, I'm happy you decided to review, and I look forward to more from you. We'll see if he does... He'll at least have some sort of union with her and inner Moka, I'm sure.**

**Zenneon- Ah, yes, the infamous time-skip. Well, I was mentored in professional writing styles, and I have a rather obsessive/compulsive personality when it comes to following doctrines of instruction. I'm not saying that serious writers who are also on here writing fanfiction and take such liberties are ruining their work, I'm merely saying that I, myself, don't feel... right doing it. Thus, a series of ***, or dashes to indicate a time-skip will likely not be seen... but I'll do my best to add some kind of logging system... perhaps a time, date log between skips or something. Please don't take my pride in myself as a sarcastic jibe to you, I -as I just said- am slightly OCD over it, and pride myself in it.**

**Now, as for that offer of help you mentioned... I am without home internet and must travel to town to do so. As you can imagine, I'm a bit... out of date and behind on Rosario Vampire... In fact, I don't know what has happened in capu2 beyond the end of the visit to the Snow Village. If you could, describe in moderate-high detail in a private message or something equally as good, to bring me up to date on what has happened? **

**Prodigal Priest- Well, I thank you for entering into this one's domain then. I truly hope it can live up to your expectations, though if it doesn't, I still thank you for taking a look-see. **

**Gaara KOtS- I'm getting lazy, so forgive me for abbreviating your name some. Oh trust me, that's the one thing I can guarantee will not happen... Too many times I've seen, "Hi, I'm human.. I trust you won't use your good looks to get me alone and eat my face off." No, that's not going to happen.**

**DoomKnight1of24- Huh, so you weren't so 'one-of-a-kind', after all? Yeah, it's hard to make someone guarded and a little anti-social without vibes of pseudo-angst getting in there. You would be right about it being a little disjointed, as I tend to get writer's block half a page in or so and leave, then come back a few days later and attempt to get right back into it which leads to it having a small hitch. I must ask, is it highly perceivable, or was it hard to catch for you? **

**I hope it does, I won't mind if it doesn't become really huge... but I do have my dreams. Aye... I must now run off and take after you; let my eyes loose the fight against gravity... God knows I've had to re-write your answer-entry twice now. **

**Disclaimer: I HAVE NO RV FOR ME BUNGHOLE!**

His eyes gazed at the odd off-yellow shuttle which had just pulled up before his house. The unmarked vehicle let loose a loud hiss as the air-breaks engaged and a small gust of air released from beneath the contraption. The low rumble of the idle engine echoed in the dewy morning's lukewarm breeze that tussled the leaves about the tree that hung over his house.

He cast an eye back and let a soft sigh escape at the sight of the empty drive-way. His mother's Suzuki Liana was gone from the drive-way and with it, the two occupants of the house which were allowed to drive it. The reason for this was that the naval office had called his father in two days early for his next three-month shift out on the waters because the Onoki, a sub-hunting destroyer, had found a convoy of personal submarines leaving Kyushu's south-western waters and heading for Chinese waters.

Upon forcing them to surrender, they found traces of cocaine and opium on-board as well as numerous traces of human discharge and excretions, hinting to human trafficking. The 'make-it or break-it' deal however, had been the detection of an unknown energy which, while not being consistent with nuclear residue, sent the crew's Geiger-counters haywire. Thus, they were putting a permanent guard to patrol Kyushu and the surrounding islands as well as the rest of Japan's waters with far more vigilance.

It sucked, but the boy understood why they had both left, after-all, his mother only had one car and someone had to drop Izuma off. The man feared buses for some reason beyond all description. With an ear-grating squeak, the double hinged doors of the bus folded in upon themselves and the boy stepped into the bus with little effort and passed the driver with nary a word.

Tsukune, as he passed him, glanced at the man from his peripheral and was rewarded with seeing the man doing the same to him with his eerie glowing eyes through the odd veil of shadows that shouldn't have been cast by the meager blue driver's cap on his head. Another thing caught his attention though, and that was that the man didn't seem to be looking _at _him, but _through_ him- or more accurate, his soul. It was an odd sensation, to feel the prickling feeling one got when you knew someone was staring, inside of you.

Shaking it off, the brunette boy walked to about the middle of the bus and took his seat on the polyester green cushion and immediately moved to the window where his eyes shifted upwards and gazed through the window towards the clouds in the sky. A moment of vertigo accompanying the sounds of hissing and loud rumbling from the engine announced the bus's return to movement.

As he was transported through the streets of Kobe, Tsukune couldn't help but feel that, as they got further from the outskirts of the city, that he would soon be in for quite the surprise. This, of course, would normally have been pushed to the back of the boy's mind, yet due to his insurmountable amount of studying anything and everything he possibly could, he had come to one conclusion and it had become his new motto in life -even if it was slightly difficult to adjust to, human nature and all, "Believe and expect in the unexpected"

Some may call it being paranoid, but to Tsukune, he was perfectly fine with being labeled crazy because, unlike everyone living their comfy, cozy lives; Tsukune _knew_ what the world really held in it's depths, even just on the surface of said pits. Yet, it seemed that the world as a whole would rather turn it's eyes away and ignore the cesspools, rather than assist those stuck in them, therefore he felt that his new-found life's motto fit well.

As far as his feeling of something odd about to happen, he was proven correct as they approached a tunnel that was on the scenic route around the southern coastline of Honshu. At roughly thirty feet from the tunnel, he felt the heated energy that he had become sensitive to feeling over the last few years flow through the metal vehicle and, after flashing his crimson eyes for a mere second, he was able to see that it seemed to be a silver cone-like twister sucking the bus into a vortex which culminated at the mouth of the tunnel up ahead. He would have acted on it, but the bus was clearly jostling from the energy affecting it and the bus-driver was not worried in the least. It seemed that, unless normal people couldn't feel it, the driver was used to such a thing and as such, allowed himself to calm some.

A deep, slightly raspy voice beckoned his attention, "So boy, you are the new student enrolling in Youkai Academy from this... region?" Without looking the boy knew that the only logical conclusion was that the bus-driver was talking to him, being that they were the only two occupants on the bus. He shifted an eye to look at the man side-long and nodded, "Yes; you picked me up after-all."

"So I did, so I did." The man chuckled out as they passed into the tunnel and the jostling finally came to a halt. The man glanced up into his rear-view to look at the boy directly and allowed a smarmy grin to peel itself into place, "You had best prepare yourself then, boy." His only response was the slight raise of an eyebrow from the boy as he still seemed to look out of the window save for his left eye looking him in the eye through the mirror.

"When we get out of this loooong and dark tunnel here in a few minutes, we'll be in front of the school." The boy merely shrugged his shoulders, "That's grand." The bus driver merely chuckled at his attitude and seemed to gain a more sinister edge to his voice, "I like your attitude, but Youkai Academy...," He trailed off to give a small cackle, "is a _very __**terrifying place!**_"

Tsukune leaned his head away from the window and glanced at the man with a blank expression, his eyes the dull, seemingly concrete filled chocolate brown that they usually were, "So is Bangkok to anyone without a trustworthy local, and every place in the world that some crime syndicate calls home." The man's smile faltered slightly, but he cackled harder than before, "Oh, you're going to be an interesting one, boy!"

It seemed that the second he said that, a blinding white light encompassed the bus. There was no pinprick that got bigger, no time to get ready for it; the light just appeared a mere few feet before the bus, like the tunnel's opening just snuck up on them and blinded the boy for a moment as he held a hand in front of his eyes as the dull sound of the man cackling was suddenly drowned out by an odd 'whooshing' sound.

Shortly thereafter, right as his eyes were adjusting, the bus lurched forward accompanied by the air-breaks hissing and squeaking, followed by the squeak-accompanied clacking of the doors folding open on themselves. He blinked and gazed out of the bus' windows as the bus driver gave a silent chuckle, "We've arrived sonny boy, be careful now... hehe."

Tsukune picked his backpack up and slung a strap over one shoulder and let his eyes pass over the man as a small smirk developed on his lips, "It seems you've let me into your nightmares a little... if you call this place terrifying. Seems interesting, if nothing else. Good day." With that, he left a slightly speechless bus driver behind and walked away from the automobile towards a peculiar lake, 'Red algae? Hmm, it _is_ far more common in lakes than rivers and oceans.'

The sound of crows cawing had him inclining his head to see a murder perched on the broken and decaying tree limbs overhead. One looked at him, craning it's head to the side so that it's beady black eye could get a direct look. Tsukune gave a small snort in amusement and turned, walking down the barely marked path towards the school in the distance -what seemed like almost two miles away.

He had made his way through the densely populate woods -though it was more of a tree-graveyard with nine in every ten trees dead- for almost thirty minutes when he heard the sound of tires on dirt and the unmistakable sound of metal slinking. 'A bike?' Tsukune pondered, only to see the front tire of the contraption zoom into the air over the hill he had just passed over. His eyes narrowed as his instincts from training took over and he jumped out of the way and into the woods, watching with bated breath as the figure on the bike landed shakily, but recovered fairly easily. He could have sword that he heard a female yell out, "Sorry!" but brushed it off as one of the birds -which had scattered upon the loud ruckus- calling out.

It took him almost ten more minutes to make it out of the woods with a good hundred meter walk left from the woods to the front of the school. The school itself was odd, but he liked the style; it was designed with a western style, mixed slightly with the Greco-Roman architecture and Gothic style. The building was white with paneling around it of blue and black. Several Victorian era windows decorated the front of the school and a set of mahogany double doors which were at least nine-foot in height stood before him.

He quickly pushed past the mismatched and clamoring mass of excited students who were slowly making their way into the building as well, though the speed at which they did made molasses seem like raging rapids. He quickly made his way to the auditorium which sat in the center of the main building. He absently noted the white-oak colored walls and the fact that every hallway through the school was dual-storied with the second floor being more of a balcony-walkway rather than a true upper floor and the same was true for the auditorium, taking the form of an opera-house.

He cast his eyes over the numerous seats available and quickly took his on the far right, next to some brunette kid with industrial piercings in his ears and the most vibrant orange eyes he had ever seen and a small girl who looked to be extremely young, clad in a dark beige mantle and a black witch's hat who was muttering to herself. Ignoring the two, he looked straight ahead and waited as the five-foot-eight man who was clad in outdated priest robes -which oddly looked like they had been liberated from an Egyptian tomb and styled with a little Japanese charm- stepped up and took center-stage.

"**Greetings, students...**," The deep and smooth voice of the Headmaster echoed out, his two glowing eyes shining much like the bus-driver's own, Tsukune observed, "**I welcome you to Youkai Private Academy, the only institution in the world which will cater to all without discrimination towards the singular goal of mastering your skills. Towards that end we, here at Youkai Academy, offer the youth everything you should need to achieve the goals which you came here to master; if you feel that you are missing anything, then set up an appointment with myself and we shall see what can be modified, assuming you have not looked what you desire over."**

The Headmaster turned slightly to his side and cast his gaze over each of the students as he intertwined his bony, slender fingers together over his waist, "**We offer many classes: some common to a handful of you and alien to the rest, and vice-versa. We are very strict about following the mandates of this institution as well, should you fail to conform to them unless good reason is given, then you will find yourself progressing the ascending latter that is our punishment doctrine; conversely, do well and you will find yourself in favor of the faculty and perhaps being assigned aide positions, or being assistant to -or perhaps promoted to- overseer of the your club- you'll learn more of that later."**

"**Now, then**," The robe-clad man exclaimed, though it was more of a dark chuckle, as he moved to the side while a young brunette woman pushed out a long set of rolling tables with five boxes on them, each labeled with a gaped alphabet; 'A' through 'E', 'F' through 'J', and so on. Motioning to the table, the Headmaster continued, "**You all will file into a line before my secretaries here, through which your last name exists in the listed bracket. This is to be a good start of the year, young ones, so do mind the student handbook which will ****accompany your schedule. Good day to you all."**

Tsukune heard the girl next to him mutter to herself something along the lines of 'having no competition from these barbaric idiots with no brains' as everyone stood at once and began to swarm the table up-front in a confused/eager mass. Tsukune quickly got into the first line for which his last name would fall and gazed passed the thirteen people before him -though he took note of the odd pink shade of hair that stood six people from the table- to the woman who sat at the table, square-frame brown glasses sitting on her nose as she flicked through the many papers in the box before handing one to the small-framed blonde boy who walked away with a nervous grin.

It took about twenty minutes for the entire line to file down to the point that he was one- no, scratch that, now he was directly before the table and the auburn haired woman glanced up at him with her equally scarlet eyes, "Name?" Tsukune's guarded eyes blinked once, their stony gaze trailing from her own curious one to the box below, "Aono, Aono Tsukune." She pursed her lips lightly and looked through the box for nearly a moment before she retrieved a paper-back booklet whose cover was a light puce color with the words 'Youkai Student Handbook' printed in Old English in a light arch in the center. Attached to the top-right of the booklet was a thin piece of paper with numerous listings along it, clearly his schedule.

Nodding his head in thanks, the teen took the offered items and walked off of the stage and out into the dual-decked hall-ways where the sounds of panicked running and calm, albeit amassed and intelligible, conversations going on permeated the air. He glanced to the left of his schedule and was proven correct in his assumption that his homeroom was to be placed there- 193, "First floor, room ninety three, hmm? Ms. Nekonome..."

He glanced around the immediate area with a frown; there was nothing to indicate which room were down what hall-ways. The faculty offices didn't go by the same numbering system, having one based around the roman alphabet, instead. He finally let loose a sigh and looked around his immediate area for someone who could be of assistance to him. As his chocolate semi-glare passed across the open halls before him, he caught the gaze of a black haired girl who was headed his way.

As she got closer Tsukune got a better look at her; almond-shaped eyes sat larger than most on her face on either side of a pert nose. Two almost beady black pupils and dark-brown iris' of the same distinction swept over to him as her finely plucked eyebrows lowered lightly over her eyes and the edge of her lips twitched into a small smirk. It would have made a lesser man nervous with fear. He, on the other hand, set her in his sights and remained still as he tracked her movements up to her with nary a twitch to betray his careless demeanor.

Dressed in a black double-breasted uniform with golden hemmed edges of which she absently adjusted the cuff of her left arm, the midnight-black haired girl stopped before him, her thin, silky straight hair shifting with the loss of motion, "Why are you standing around aimlessly?"

Tsukune narrowed his eyes a fraction, already not liking the tone the woman took with him, "I am looking for room one ninety-three, yet I find myself lost as there is little to go on in this section of the school, it seems." She seemed to gain a larger smirk and her eyes danced with derision, "So you didn't try to walk around and find anything? How stupid. Freshmen."

He took a breath as he felt a slight tinge of anger burn at his chest deep within the cavity where his emotions had once formed freely. This woman infuriated him, he decided. The boy took a step closer to her, "Do you, or do you not know the way around a school which you've clearly been attending?" She closed her eyes, "Hmm? Of course I do." "Well then," Tsukune began and stepped closer, "Let's forgo insulting the freshman and instead, give me the location of my homeroom."

She cackled, a high-pitched and harsh sound, "Why should _I?_" He didn't say a word, merely titled his head to the side and nodded slightly, whilst biting the inside of his lower lip, "What's your name?"

Her demeanor changed slightly, from being haughty and holier-than-thou to haughty, holier-than-thou, and compilable, "I am the second in command of the Public Safety Commission, Keito Higashi. Why do you want to know?"

He blinked twice in quick succession and narrowed his eyes slightly, "No reason, go about your business now." She scoffed and sauntered off with the damnable arrogance for which she had become famous for the previous year, not that Tsukune knew this. He glanced at her sidelong as his lips twitched to a smirk, "No, go on you oblivious woman, just know what is coming for you." With that comment, the boy proceeded to walk with a purpose to the far hallway and made a right.

Several feet down this hallway he made a left and found the 'Nineties' walkway. It was no difficult task at all to find his classroom just three seconds before he would have been late. He quickly gave two quick raps on the door with his fore and middle knuckles before opening the door and entering.

"Oh, hello there! You're late, you know?" The teacher greeted excitedly and then questioned, her eyes squinted slightly behind her diminutive oval reading glasses. Tsukune, who had walked straight in, panned his eyes to the side to look at the teacher, "Indeed. Your Public Safety members are very much lacking in assistance of students."

Oddly, the blonde teacher's two strange tufts of hair seemed to twitch and fall slightly as her mood suddenly plummeted, "You've met them already? Oh, I know, they're just terrible, but the charter states that as long as at least one member exists, it cannot be disbanded, even by the Headmaster." She then perked up slightly, "What's your name, then!"

"Tsukune Aono, Nekonome-sensei." She smiled and the two tufts shifted once again, pointing outward as they had before. Giving them a moment of a critical eye, Tsukune figured that he had merely seen something but had yet to completely discount that something was odd about the teacher. His eyes followed her arm out as she gestured to the far right of the room, where four empty seats existed; two on the furthest row right in a column, one diagonally ahead of the second-to-last seat, and one beside the last seat.

He looked back to the woman as she smiled, "Take one of the seats and we'll resume the lesson!" Giving a minor nod, Tsukune soon found himself seated in the second to last seat, absently noting that another odd shade of hair seemed to be shifting about in his peripheral; a cerulean head of hair to be exact, an odd color to be sure. He let his attention waver from that and focus back on the teacher who was... drawing something on the black-board, 'Who the hell uses those now-days? _Every_ school has dry-erase boards... nice to see some antiquity for once.'

Tsukune frowned as the teacher moved away and immediately began to speak excitedly, tapping the board with a pointing baton, "As I was saying, Welcome to Youkai Academy!" Nekonome then pulled the baton away and held it at her waist horizontally, both hands gripping an end, "Today is _not_ a school day; it is more of an orientation to get you used to the layout without any pressure. So, let's begin with the purpose of the academy!"

She suddenly jumped to the board in a fit of excitement that had the teen feeling oddly violated and confused, something he did _not_ like feeling. Tsukune raised an eyebrow as the tapping of the chalk to the board lessened and turned into drags of drawing, and as the blond woman was in the way and successfully blocking his sight, he had to rely on sound to determine what was going on. He supposed for a moment, after seeing the bored looks on his classmates' faces, that he was being overboard with his expectation of something odd to be revealed, yet he couldn't help it.

Right as her minor bodily twitches indicated that she was about to move away, the door opened up, "S'cuse me!" The teacher's tufts of hair seemed to perk up, almost like ears as she turned her squinted gaze towards the door whilst the new arrival continued, "Sorry I'm late; I kinda got lost after the entrance ceremony, and couldn't find the ninety hall."

Nekonome waved it off with a smile, "Oh, that's fine. Don't worry about it, now choose a seat, miss?"

"Moka Akashiya, Nekonome-sensei," Moka replied with a smile and her off-jade eyes lightly sparkling.

"Alright Moka-san, please take one of the remaining seats."

The pinkette smiled and moved through the class towards the closest open seat, putting her diagonally in front of Tsukune. All the while through her movement to the seat, Tsukune was annoyed and astonished at how everyone in the class was acting so brash and blatantly proclaiming their lust towards the girl who seemed to not take a dash of notice.

Once she had sat down and gotten situated Nekonome began to speak, yet stopped when she noticed that none outside of Tsukune, Moka, and three others were paying attention. Tsaking her baton and tapping it on the board got half of the class' attention, yet the rest were too enthralled in the pink haired beauty to give their attention to anything else. That was until the woman seemed to narrow her eyes and a familiar burning energy filled the air followed by her rushing over and literally _clawing_ the closest inattentive student's face, "Pay attention!"

That seemed to drag all but one or two heads from their longing gazes towards the young girl and return them to the rightful attentive place with Nekonome. With the class mostly at attention, save for the boy worrying over his face and the two still shifting between her and Moka, the blond's mood shifted instantly and she smiled, tapping the board once again, "As I was saying, once again; let's begin with the purpose of the academy!"

Tsukune's eyes shifted up towards the board and instantly narrowed slightly, his pupils contracting marginally. A large circle was drawn on the board, slightly oblong, but so minuscule that the brunette was the only one to notice it. Within the circle sat the word, 'Earth' with five stick-figures standing atop seeming to hold hands.

To the right of the representation of Earth sat an arrow with the words 'Humans', written in both English and Japanese kanji pointing towards the stick figures. This was odd, but not what caused his reaction; rather it was the illustrations below the Earth- a large box with an arrow pointed up to it with the word 'Monster' written in it and next to it, an excitable pop-bubble with, 'Coexistence'.

"This Academy's main purpose is to teach you all how to co-exist with humans!" She explained with a smile, her tufts twitching which, with this new revelation, Tsukune was sure were ears -badly disguised. She seemed giddy as she continued to explain, "The current situation on this front is that the humans have prospered and grown in numbers to the point that for every monster, there are one-hundred seventy-five humans. They have become the ruling force on the planet and have mastered technology to an extent that is unprecedented."

She pranced to the other side of the chalk-board and continued, even as something which Tsukune quickly determined was a tail slithered out from under her short ruby-colored skirt, "Humans are surprisingly skittish and hostile to things that they don't understand, a trait shared by most monsters, so due to their numbers and technological advancements, war is out of the question." The brunette boy heard the boy sitting beside him snort and clink his teeth against the piercing hanging on the left bottom lip.

"Therefore, for us Monsters to safely continue to survive, we must learn to continue to peacefully coexist with humans, as had been done exclusively for five centuries!" She then tilted her head to the side and smiled out to them with her eyes squinted, or perhaps closed tightly, "So for that very reason, all of you will be living your life at this academy in _human form!_"

Tsukune's eyes flashed crimson for just a moment before they settled back into their chocolate brown and he took a long, deep breath to calm himself. So, that's what this was, then; a school for monsters, for all of the things that go bump in the night -as the saying goes- so that they may exist in the light without the lingering thought of danger. It was definitely a far-fetched thought to say the least, but considering everything he had been through and all of the texts he had read, mainly those mythological in nature, he couldn't say it didn't make any sense.

Especially the five-century time-frame, where the last chronicled evidence of anything mythological in nature completely went cold. Beyond that, you began to hear of the Loch-Ness and of extra terrestrials, and things of that nature -not that he discounted any of that, merely that it didn't seem to fit with the mythological subjects.

His nervousness didn't fall away though, despite the fact that he had read a great deal about ancient Greek and Egyptian myths, including those dealing with the beings therein, he knew that more than half were carnivorous, and wasn't sure how those around him felt. Moreover, the texts were word-of-mouth and speculation at best by the current point in time, so whose to say that anything written about them was correct, or still relevant in modern times. The brunette eyed those around him warily, before taking note that they all seemed bored and took no notice of his fidgeting. They didn't know he was a human, or they didn't care.

The boy sitting next to him drew his attention, "Bah! Humans are only worth food and live-stock! So humans have technology, military hardware and all that junk; we have supernatural powers -to them- which would let us over-power them!" The dark, curly blond haired boy spoke, his voice coming out in a hostile hiss that could have been likened to boiling oil, "So why not eat all of the good-for-nothin' humans...? Actually, in the case of the women, use 'em as bed warmers and _then_ eat 'em!"

Nekonome seemed to mewl disgustedly and sorrowfully as she pointed to him with her baton, "Because all humans would need to do is send a Nuclear warhead our way; they've used one before on their own kind, so they'd be willing to sacrifice their own again in order to get rid of a different threat." She then seemed to perk up a little bit, "Besides, Komiya-san, there are no humans on campus! If one even stepped foot in the barrier that surrounds Youkai Academy, they would have been _killed!" _She accentuated the word, then cocked her head to the side as her ear-tufts twitched and tapped her cheek, "...Or something like that."

Tsukune felt his body shiver involuntarily and glanced down at his hand, 'Then why am I still alive?'

The rest of the class went on without a hitch for the remaining thirty minutes that it was in session. During that time, a student poised a good question that Tsukune had been wondering, and that was how exactly the school was to help them integrate into human society.

Nekonome had replied by telling them that the school was recognized as a viable school to graduate from and was pulled by the weight of the few monsters who were higher up in the human political chain of command, thus in addition to the classes that would get monsters used to the culture of the human world -as well as training themselves to control their powers- there were human subjects as well that would go towards their high-school diploma and, if they chose, add college credit to their record.

The class had let out soon after and amidst the excited and jabbering masses of monsters disguised as human students, Tsukune walked through the corridors of the academy, his destination being the dorm room which he had been assigned to. He stood at the hallway where he had initially met that bitch, Keito, and turned. A placard hanging from the ceiling identified that going out the front and the left doors would lead to the dormitories, one leading to the freshman and sophomore dorms, and the other to the junior and senior dorms.

He quickly exited out of the left door and began to walk passed the small drink area, ignoring the pink haired girl whose eyes he could feel pass over him as she slurped on a can of tomato juice, in lieu of making it to his dorm in the shortest time possible.

The boy had taken a good thirty paces before he turned back upon hearing the voice of the boy who sat beside him grow loud and found him to be standing needlessly close to Moka, his face screwed up in lustful anger as he blocked her from moving away from him with both his arms on either side of her. He narrowed his eyes and slowly turned his heading as he heard, "You will not _deny_ _me_, Moka Akashiya! You see, you're all alone and anyone who would help you, well..." He chuckled and smirked, his tongue creeping out to lick his lips insidiously, "They've all tried to stop me and learned their lessons, one way or the other."

"Please, Saizou-san, y-you don't want to do this... I, I could be your _friend_?" Moka tried to reason, attemtping to implant a suggestion in his mind that would be less detrimental than the one he was currently taken on. He snorted and narrowed his eyes into a glare, "Do you take me for a _fool_! You'll be my friend one way, or the other; my bed-friend and then my dinner-friend. Stop resisting the inevitable."

She whimpered and tried to jar away, but his arms bulged with unnatural muscle as he held her in place with some difficulty, "Oh, well I do like it when my prey tries to fight back. If you want it to _hurt_, then keep on, Moka!" She shivered and shrunk in on herself, trying to put some distance between the bully before her and her own self. Her off-jade eyes shimmered with tears as she looked around. She could try to escape, but that's what Saizou wanted; he _wanted_ her to run so that he could get rougher with her, so that he was provoked into using force against her.

"What do you say? Let's ditch this area and go back to my crib?" Saizou questioned and she whimpered, her eyes shifting back and forth as she tried to keep her tears from falling. Her silence slowly caused his already high temper to inflate and he reached forward, gripping her shoulder roughly, "I _said_, let's go to my _crib_, Moka. _Now._"

The pinkette moaned in pain, one eye closing as she cringed and tried to shrink upon herself even more. The pierced boy before her leaned down and whispered, "If you come _now_, I _may _think about not devouring you so soon, after I tear into that snatch of yours, now _let's go!_" He turned around, yanking the girl with him only to come face-to-face with a slightly shorter boy.

Tsukune stared impassively at Saizou, his chocolate orbs as hard as onyx as they bored into the other boy's own slightly menacing coal-colored ones. Saizou grunted at the boy, "Move, worm. I've got business to attend to." Instead of complying, Tsukune merely tilted his head an inch or two to the side and tightened his eye-lids a smidgen.

His classmate's nostrils flared as he took a deep breath and spoke in the most menacing voice he could muster without resorting to his monster form, "What's wrong with you, stupid? I _said_, get the _fuck_ out of my _**way**_!" The last Aono nodded once, "Oh, I heard you, but I would rather see you _try_ to get passed me, if you can even do that."

"What was that, dumb-ass? You're going to try to fight me?" Saizou questioned with a dark grin and a single chuckle. The shorter boy merely stared at him with a perfectly dismissive and impassive expression. It was a testament to his training that when Saizou raised his arm far quicker than should have been possible and brought it smashing down, Tsukune caught it with his hand and didn't loose any ground, despite the fact that his arm was shaking terribly with the counter-force required to hold it off.

Further still was a testament to his mental and emotional blocks he had created that his body's pain, as well as his muscles' straining didn't crossover and manifest into his voice which was so stoically cold and dismissive of Saizou that it sounded every bit of a dirge, "Now, you've failed with your first attack, and the surprise has been taken from your assault; you're too little prepared to pull a fast one on me, and any attempt to prove otherwise will just end in you losing this fight."

He then released the taller teen's fist and stepped passed him to where Moka was being held slightly behind him and gripped his other wrist, "Move it, Komiya-san." The man seemed to contemplate rounding on the boy and ramming a fist to the back of his head, but he had a feeling that it wouldn't work out. With a guttural grunt, Saizou released Moka and began to walk off, "This isn't the end of it, Moka Akashiya! You will be _mine_!"

A soft wind blew past whilst Moka wiped the tears from her eyes and blinked as she watched her tormentor walk off into the woods, fuming. She then cast her eyes over to where the boy who she recognized from also being from her class had been standing and let out a sharp gasp; he was already to the edge of the trees, heading for the dormitories with his hands tucked into his pockets. She opened her mouth and stopped short for a mere second, before she decided to yell, "T-thank you!"

Whoever he was, he didn't seem to hear her as he kept on walking until his form melded in with the forest and was lost from sight. Moka lowered her head with a sigh and gingerly grabbed her shoulder with a wince, biting her lip. She looked down to where her tomato juice had been knocked to the ground during Saizou's assault and her eyes widened upon finding a new can, fresh and closed, sitting on the seat beside her.

Tsukune had arrived in his dorm room and upon unlocking the door, glanced about the room with a critical eye. The room was mildly furnished with room for improvement if one wished. To the left of the door was the kitchenette; a dual-sided fridge/freezer combo which sat snugly in the corner, and then two cabinets of western design with a rather generic faux marble top separated it from the four eyed black stove. Across from that sat a white oval island-bar that acted as the dining table, three stools were placed on either side and sitting on it, far against the wall was an undersized tan microwave.

The other side of the dorm had a three-cushioned couch, beige in color that sat on the opposite wall, next to a five-tiered bookcase, upon which there were several book which looked to be the text books for the classes on his schedule, presumably so that he could properly do any assigned work, or simply study. In front of the couch was a very small glass-top coffee table, stretching half the length of the couch.

Right of the couch, behind an enclave made by extending the wall half-way through the room and placing a sliding door in the remaining space was a four-poster bed, though it lacked the canopy which Tsukune assumed was present if one specified, or was in the female dorms. A light green comforter lay upon the bed like a captured cloud and seemed to be extremely soft and relaxing just by looking at it.

Tsukune had observed that the bathrooms were public with two on each floor, nearest the stairs that existed on the far ends of the building. He noted that it would likely be hell in the morning to take a shower and brush his teeth, much less taking an early morning break to drain his body of wasteful fluids.

Sighing he stripped his green blazer off as well as white button-up dress-shirt beneath it, leaving him in a snug, gray wife-beater. He walked over and sat down on his couch and closed his eyes, shielding his brown eyes from the world as they morphed into a deep, vibrant crimson and two tomoe swirled into being beneath their veil.

Immediately he heard the familiar toneless voice that he had grown semi-accustomed to hearing from time to time, 'Good day, boy. How hath thoust day gone?' He felt himself blink in annoyance and took a breath, an odd feeling much like the pressure of him pinching his nose was felt, "You're talking Shakespearean again."

The voice let loose the familiar bass-like thump that he had come to know was a laugh, 'It is not the fault of We that you read Shakespeare, and We happened to enjoy it more than you, boy. Quit complaining.' He once again found himself wishing -as he often did- that he could actually see the disembodied voice to actually glare at it, or perhaps strangle it from time to time. As it was, he merely grunted, 'Hn.'

A Series of thumps followed out, 'You'd not win the impending fight between the two of us, if you could. Let sleeping dogs lie, Aono.' Whilst Tsukune had not spoken to the voice on a true schedule, it happened around once a month for two years and during that time, Tsukune had learned much about the voice -not what it was, or what it represented, but more about how it functioned. He couldn't actually 'hear' anything vocal from it.

In truth, he found that the voice would access his memory and by sending emotions there, it could manipulate words that he, himself knew, and the imprinted words would be 'felt' in his mind and came across in a way that one would akin an absent-minded thought that they barely catch themselves thinking.

Beyond that, if he paid attention, he could feel the emotional tethers that it used to pick out the words in order to form a guesstimate of the voice's mood and intent with the words. Of course, he found that words taken from high-emotional experiences would jam his ability to detect the its tethers as he could only feel the residue of his own emotions.

The brunette also found that he could only communicate with the voice when his crimson eyes were manifested, as it opened his mind in several odd ways. For one, he found that the time-dilation he had attributed to adrenaline when he had killed Ishin had, in fact, stemmed from the eyes and that it seemed to connect to one of the two tomoe in his eyes.

Another thing he had found is that he only needed to glance at something with his eyes activated to instantly memorize it. He could scan a book in less than an hour and have all of that information available to him for all eternity; where most memories seemed to fade and lose their edge and clarity, everything he saw with the crimson eyes was as lucid -more so, in fact- than something freshly seen by his own chocolate pair. This, he found, stemmed from the second tomoe in his eye, though he couldn't trace how it worked.

'Pinwheels of Despair,' The voice intoned, and for the first time, it had a hint of masculinity flanking the overall genderless and toneless voice it usually had.

"What?" Tsukune's lips dipped into a small frown even as his eyes remained closed, "Despair?"

A feeling washed over him and Tsukune felt that he knew it had nodded to him in the eternal darkness that his mind currently was, 'They are called the Pinwheels of Despair to those of this world, and are a fabled thing. The eyes are as rare here as monsters are seen to be to the humans of these times.'

"How do you know this?" Tsukune questioned, an eyebrow raised minutely above its regular state of impassiveness, "Why have you never brought this up before?"

Tsukune waited for an answer, and in that dark, formless void that his outer mind was, it easily felt as if a good three hours had passed. He found himself growing ardently impatient and furious from the lack of reciprocation from the sentient entity. He could feel that the voice was still in contact with his mind; the odd invasive pressure on the 'back' of the formless space that was his mind proved that.

It had taken well over what felt like ten hours for the voice to make itself known and answer the brunette boy, and the normally chocolate eyed teen could literally feel the boiling flames of hot tar that was his fury in the pit of his stomach when the voice came without warning, 'We have been weak; it costs us a month's worth of gathering latent psychic energy and youki -the energy monsters use- from the atmosphere to speak even a few hours to you in the human realm.'

'And this place is far more saturated by youki, being a school devoted to monsters. Why bring this up?' He queried monotonously, both curious as to the connection of youki to the entity, and annoyed at its lack of answering his previous question. The brunette boy found that the voice sent the same impression of it nodding as before, 'We bring this up to answer the latter of your two questions; for us, running on so little energy is the equivalent of you having stayed awake for seven moons, and once you finally fall to sleep's dark embrace, being awakened within the second hour.' He couldn't help but get the feeling that, if the voice had a physical form, it would most certainly have dark bags of sleep-deprivation under its eyes.

"By that logic, you were incapable of focusing much on anything you were saying, and as such; incapable of informing me on such things." The voice nodded to the conclusion, 'Yes, you are very perceptive, boy.'

Tsukune found that he felt both sincerity and sarcasm from the voice's praise/mock of his perception and glared mentally into the darkness, only to receive a light thump of laughter in return, 'Do not strain yourself boy; as it stands, we are both formless here.' He felt the entity's pressure on his conscious move slightly, almost as if it were shifting positions for comfort, 'Now, you questioned us about how we knew about the eyes?'

"Indeed, how could you possibly know?" He inquired, as it was quite bizarre that some formless, nearly non-existent body in his mind would know more about his eyes than he, himself did. It was like having someone else hold the secret to your life, despite the fact that they are not living it; it was very fear-instilling and nerve-wracking.

'We are still weakened, but we will answer you this question. We know of the Pinwheels of Despair because we are the guardians over those who possess the eyes, though we have not manifested in many millennia, if your texts time-tables are accurate." The voice sent a wave of emotion that the boy quickly identified as nostalgia, "We have been with those that have held these eyes from the first, down to you -though we admit, you are the second to which we are able to speak with. We have watched as the Pinwheels of Despair turned from a tool, to an obsession; watched from afar as the eyes died out and, through the years, mutated and formed several replicas in many different forms, yet never matching the eccentricities and power of the original.'

"It must be a powerful manifestation, then, for not a single one to match up," Tsukune observed, though rather than feel a desire for it, he felt slightly aversive to the use, or even the thought of the eyes -he always had, slightly. There was just something about them that didn't sit well with him; like all was not what it seemed, and not just with the crimson orbs.

His answer came by way of a near-concussive force of emotion which was highly pensive, proud, and melancholic in nature, 'The Pinwheels of Despair _are_ very powerful, more so than you can probably imagine with all the synapses in your mind firing at once. The eyes have the ability to render anything seen to its most intricate detailing, and store it for all eternity in your long-term memory; You can perceive the bio-energies of any being with perfect clarity, and time will slow itself to a crawl progressively as they gain experience. There is so much that they can do, so very much.'

Then, the voice gained a slight lugubrious tinge to its voice, 'Yes, it has all that power and more, but... don't ever, no matter any desire to do so, consider the Pinwheels of Despair a gift of any kind.' Confusion emanated from Tsukune's consciousness out towards the entity that conversed with him, and it responded, 'You will understand, once another tomoe spins in tandem with the others, a small fraction of why the Pinwheels of Despair are a curse to all who bare their mark. Pray that you never advance beyond the three tomoe, for you will _never_ be the same child again, this I promise you.'

He noticed that the words seemed to be growing softer, weaker in their passing, 'You are losing power, aren't you?' An affirmative nod answered him, and as the pressure that was the voice moved away, he heard it give some parting words, 'The Pinwheels of Despair, during their prime, went by another name; Sharingan... Use it... boy.'

**It is now March 26th, and I feel as though my progress is below par, as is my depth in this particular chapter. I hope that despite this, you all can enjoy this chapter. In other news, I checked out OnTheImportanceOfLungs' fanfiction, ' Wizard of the Kaleidoscope' and found that it bares striking similarity to some concepts in my own story. So, here is me saying that I had no clue, and any resemblance is purely coincidental. The 'Eyes of Misery' are his idea. At any rate, you should check out his story; it's pretty great and has an intriguing concept, holding the sharingan -and indeed, the other two doujutsu- in a standalone idea, rather than tying it to ninja and the such. **

**At any rate, I plan for this story to follow semi-loosely with the manga up until around the time that Tsukune would normally turn into a ghoul, somewhere around there. Oh, in a review or private message, I'd like to hear your own personal ideas to add depth to each of the girls' cultures. Keep in mind that I already have most of the ideas, and this is merely a compare and contrast, though I may decide to include some of your thoughts in with my own. Worry not, credit will be given where due.**


	5. Dangerous dealings

**Greetings, my readers... and the rest of you, you know, the glancers. I hope you're days have been far more prosperous than they have been for me. As of today, none of those job efforts have bore any fruit beyond a few courteous employers who had the decency to let me know that I wasn't fit for them, or, in one case, that someone more qualified got it in my stead. Meh, it sucks, but... what can you do, no?**

**At _any_ rate, I can pleasantly say that chapter five is, clearly, uploaded. I found this chapter's conception to come along rather well up until around a fourth of the way through, where I got slight writer's block (Meaning, in my terms, that I could only write 600, or so words a day.) so I apologize before-hand if it seems disjointed. Keep in mind that I'm not the best at any form of writing -don't claim to be- and that, of all, I feel that fight scenes are my worst, right before conversations with three or more participants. **

**Now, onto my favorite part of this post-production writing- Answering reviewers... Not as many as last time, but hey, it is what it is.**

**Prank1ng- Dude, no need to apologize over that. Well, you're not expressly _wrong_ for thinknig of those two, but it isn't _quite_ as simple as the two of them. Here's a hint; time paradox. As far as the 'hn', well, that was actually Tsukune grunting in response to the voice- should go back and make that clearer at some point, probably. Thanks, it's a thought I've been pondering on- The sharingan, I mean- for a while; not many people have given more than a basic reasoning for how it works... I know that, as of the current time, this is as far as I've gotten, but... I plan to eventually go into the entire intricacies of the sharingan. Haha, no, this definitely ain't dead yet, dude... and, it won't die; may take a bit to update, but I got quite a bit to explore in this story.**

**Pyromania101- Indeed, it has been a long time. Sadly, as I stated, this long time hasn't bore me any fruits, either. Tch, typical in life, huh? Well, as far as the Saizou thing... read on; you might be let down, or pleasantly surprised. Can't give you a definite this early; it'd ruin the story! Heh. Friendship will come, yes, but it will be complicated... I can't promise that, but any "bashing" will be thoroughly earned from their canon-influenced interactions.. I ain't about to start having him rip Kurumu down for her lack of intellectual integrity, or Moka for her extreme optimism; they're defining traits and while he may lightly comment on them, I intent for him to help improve their faculties... at some point. Well, you'll just have to wait and see... **

**Black glasses wearing, cane-wielding, vest-wearing-dog-walking guy; aka blatant blind guy- Truly you are blind, my perception lacking friend. That, or you are truly jaded as to light hints that point otherwise... Though by reading your review I'd have to say that you're merely ignorant, '_...just from reading the reviews and briefly_ glancing_ at the chapters...'_ If you _must_ say he's under the guise of _anyone_, I'd say it's Itachi, for the time being. He'll blossom into his own soon enough. **

**Hmm, well it's interesting that you say that because I... could honestly care less. And, apparently, neither do the admins as my story is still here in place and I don't have a request to change it. **

**Gaara king of the sand- Thank you, and until I put up a chapter explaining that it will not be continued, then just assume I'm busy with my personal life. **

**Common Sense- Is it, really? Think about it. Look at the economy we're currently in; where graduates from college can't even find a job, and tell me that you wouldn't rather work on your own ends than to spend countless hours paying for further schooling which you can make _absolutely no use of_. I'm not going off on you, let me make that clear, i'm just giving you some food for thought here... His reason for failing is roughly drafted around my own... granted, I got my diploma (barely), but didn't go to college.**

**Thank you for giving it a chance, and I hope that you can enjoy it henceforth. **

**Hypothetical Spiritual Entity- **

**Thanks. Here it is; hope you enjoy it.**

**Some random anon- You didn't bother me at all with the past reviews; I rather enjoyed them and have no problem with it. Thank you for the praise on my articulateness, it is one of my few high-held prides. Meh, don't sweat not reviewing the first chapter; you got the other three in turn. While I begin putting the setting and story together, I'll hang onto the canon for the time being and will be adding my own twists to it until I'm ready to depart from it... that includes some cliché content, such as the bike incident. I agree, it is nice to not have him instantly become a hankering love-zombie. Thank you; you're a reviewer whom I look forward to hearing from, in the same echelons as Pyro, and Prank1ng. I'll try to keep my updates on a regular basis.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own, profit, or withdraw any sort of monetary gain from this publication, and all rights belong to Akisha Ikeda, and Kishimoto. I do, however, own the fact that I didn't feel like being witty with this rather useless piece of information.**

**Chapter 5: Disturbances**

_He blinked his eyes as the pressurized wind burst across his cheeks and scratched at his eyes. His red-tinted gaze took in the trees, every single one coming closer at one-eighth the speed of his actual movement, despite the fact that both his physical body and his eyes perceived himself touching each and every branch henceforth with unerring accuracy._

_He jumped to another, and yet again to the one several yards in front of him. Another gust of wind, tinged with the light mist of the early morning blew into his face stronger than before, and a light-blue haze was inter-tangled with it. He raised a fist, "We're close; keep them off of me." _

"_Aye, destroy him, M'lord." He heard from behind him as four pressure waves exploded and the now-emptier air behind him washed over his form, rustling the leaves of the tree whose branch he stood upon, looking into the distance where a long, straight black-haired man with slightly tanned skin stood in pale green armor which seemed reminisce of the armor worn by the samurai._

_Reaching behind him, he drew his sixty-two inch long naginata from it's place fastened to his back in a leather holster-strap. He felt the energy in his feet concentrate upon the use of an odd finger-position and in the next three seconds- in real time, and twenty-four to his eyes- he stood before the armor clad man, his naginata already piercing the chest of his target's armor, "Die, lying snake!"_

_The obvious target's body shattered into pieces in a spray of what looked like wood. In frustration, he felt his energy well up in his head and target his ocular sensory nerves, where it began to heat up and burn slightly. He snapped his eyes open with a yell of, "Mangekyou Sharingan!" and everything..._

_Now he was standing in the rain, his eyes perceiving things just as slow as they did before, yet across from him stood a man who was easily a foot taller than he, despite his five-six frame. The man's coal-black eyes suddenly were aglow in an ominous crimson, and circling the pupil were three tomoe marks, each swimming at a speed that made the slight discoloration that marked their orbit seem more like a black circle._

_He blinked, wondering why he was standing here before the taller man whose black mane seemed to flow like fire, spiking in every general direction. The shadows cast by the night shrouded his rusted-crimson colored modified samurai armor fairly well, yet the light glow from his empowered, spinning eyes pushed at the shroud, tinging the metallic attire slightly._

"_It is time for you to begin your training, son. You will bring the glory that _they_ stole from our clan back to us, as the heir to our family. Prepare yourself, do not falter." That was all the deep-voiced man, whose thick accent would have made it difficult to understand his words, said before rushing him. _

_He pulled his arms up, blocking the initial punch and reached for his right arm, pulling it down and towards him whilst he hopped into the air and rammed his knee into his father's face, simultaneously swinging his other leg over the captured arm and landed behind him. He wasted no time and rammed an elbow into his father's neck, only for his target to flash out of existence from pure speed and a searing pain to ram into his chest -the tell-tail sign of broken ribs. _

_Teeth grit as he hissed in pain and began moving his fingers at a blistering speed of which even his own eyes found to be a slight blur, "Katon: Karyu Endan!" _

_He watched as his father's eyes widened for a second before he smirked and began to focus energy into his eyes. The second that the burning entity that formed itself in a frigging _dragon, _his father's tomoes seemed to spin rapidly as he whispered a barely audible, "Mangekyou Sharingan" _

_The rapidly spinning tomoe spun even faster if it were possible, until their after-images were colliding together. Half a second later, the spinning stopped and where his three tomoe had once been, there was now a continuous circle with hollow divots in the ring that represented them in this odd form. His father focused on the dragon sailing towards him, and he closed an eye, "Amat..."_

Tsukune awoke with a start, springing up with a sharp breath as he swiveled his head and looked about his room with sporadic eyes. He was so panicked after those odd dreams and the very _vivid_ pain, that he wasn't even aware, until his gaze passed the small mirror that hung on the inside door of his wardrobe which he had apparently left open, that his sharingan was active.

He quickly cut the energy to his eyes and felt them fade to their average brown as he gazed at the ceiling whilst getting his breathing back under his control. His body shook slightly, and he was made aware from his lack of dress -having gone to bed in only his boxers- that it was both cold, and that he had become slightly clammy with the cold sweat of that very physical dream...

He quickly vacated his bed and dressed himself in a white t-shirt and a pair of sweats. It took him little time to make two pieces of jellied toast and devour the meager -to most- breakfast and clean up what little he had used to make the meal.

It was then off to the bathroom, and more specifically, the showers. As he stepped out and walked the halls, his visage remained the stoic and unapproachable indifference that had become his base expression, despite the near-claustrophobic feeling he got as he walked through the semi-crowded halls made all the more unpleasant by the fact that his dorm-mates seemed to be rather unadapted at holding onto their disguise so soon after awakening.

Passing by a seven-foot tall teen who glanced at himself by happenstance in the compact mirror of a sophomore's girlfriend, who had decided to visit their other-half, he heard the boy groan and begin muttering about how staying human all the time sucked and began to sulk; an odd sight, considering the boy seemed to be a Kappa, made apparent by the light blue-green skin and the bony -almost beak-like- lips with the bony plate protruding his sea-weedy hair.

The boy was one of the more... tame -if odd- looking monsters who were either completely, or semi out of proper disguise, revealing their entire forms, or an arm, head, or in some cases an extra appendage. Tsukune ducked under the flailing spindly tail of some yellow boy who seemed excited over something. Perhaps he was worried, instead?

He quickly jumped in the communal shower and paid no mind to the other boys who showered along-side him, the few that there were in the morning. One aspect of his training that Asura had drilled into him was that modesty was fine and all, but a fight can erupt anywhere and under any condition, so you _had_ to be comfortable with yourself around others in any state of dress to be ready; if you were whining and shivering like a scared child because of a meager exposure, then you were little more than a hindrance.

To that end, he would be forced to fight the man nude, even on days and night where the water traffic was rather heavy and passersby on water-taxis and passing ships could easily see. It had taken the boy being almost beaten into unconsciousness and then being left outside that night as punishment to stop worrying about his state of dress and merely focus on the task at hand.

The brunette boy hastily made his way back to his dorm room and undressed from his regular shirt and sweats, replacing them with the proper school uniform. He was adjusting his blazer, pressing the few wrinkles in it out as he exited the goth-styled buildings and emerged onto the school proper. With the low hum of students speaking in rather civilized tones around him and the melodious sounds of birds chirping which had undertones by the dirge of crows and ravens, he found himself slightly lost in thought, his pondering bringing his thoughts towards the information he had gleaned from the voice the previous night, and the dreams he had. The most prominent question in his mind was, 'What is a Mangekyou Sharingan? Is that the next level which I was warned of?'

So wrapped in his thoughts was he that he never noticed that a familiar curly haired blonde was walking up on him from the rear, a sneering smirk upturning both the edge of his lip and his nose. His angular face was twisted in a sick expression of glee as he suddenly rushed the boy and, upon channeling youki into his arm, allowed some of his true form's muscles to bulge and increase his strength.

Tsukune heard the hit connect with his back more than he felt it, but all the same, he was send lurching forward. His saving grace was his reflex as he tossed his arms out in front of him and sprang himself into a hand-standing flip, where he landed with his back to his attacker, "Truly, you leave something to be desired in your attempts, Komiya-san."

The fact that his cool remark had more venom in it than a cobra stung the taller boy who growled, "I told Moka that this wasn't over, and it isn't. You'll be staying away from her, and you'll let me do what I want, understand?"

Tsukune shifted his position so he was gazing at his fellow brunette from the corner of his right eye, "Defending Moka-san from your assaults was my first interaction with her, and I had hoped it to be the last initiated on my part." The look of satisfaction settling over the pierced boy was quickly dashed as the smaller of the two went on to say, "I cannot allow something so overlooked to take place whilst I have the power to stop it; perhaps if you had tried to bribe me at first, I may have thought about it -I still would have denied you, no doubt, but I would've _thought_ about it."

"Why you!" The Komiya teen ground out from gnashed teeth and went rush towards Tsukune, his rage blinding him top the fact that Tsukune was ready for him.

Before he hit, Tsukune admonished, "I wouldn't advise you to contin- Alright, then!" As Saizou transformed his arm into the mucus-brown colored, leathery, yet muscle-bound arm of his true-form and raised it over-head for a crushing blow, the other brunette boy quickly jumped to the side and pivoted immediately on his heel in a full-circle where he rammed his left elbow under Saizou's right ribs and used his other arm as leverage to pry his elbow higher and cause the other boy some pain, without actually breaking the ribs.

Saizou gave a throaty, yet shrill groan of agony and rounded on Tsukune, only to receive a palm thrust to the chest, followed by a snap-kick to his solar-plexus, which caused a bit of spittle to escape his mouth along with the rush of air from his lungs. In the light daze, he couldn't help the fact that he wasn't able to properly defend against the open-fisted punch which landed right on his sternum with a 'thunk', threatening the solidity of the supporting bone.

The boy stopped his assault of the sleazy school-boy and merely stood at the ready for a moment before he relaxed his stance with a soft sigh that sounded like it could have had a disappointed snort within it as he turned his back to Saizou. As his form retreated from the older boy's presence, Tsukune was unaware of the hate-filled glare that was sent his way, nor of the crazed look in the monster's eyes as half his mouth slightly transformed, his jaws elongating into something akin to a very short muzzle or snout and sharp teeth replacing his human ones.

He was halfway to school before his next disturbance reared its head, this time in a semi-familiar face. As he walked the cobble-stoned path towards the front of the school, he was made aware of a presence walking inessentially close behind him. Deciding that he most certainly did not enjoy the feeling of being followed, his nostrils flared and he picked up speed as a scowl lightly crossed his face.

A minute later and his nostrils had flared slightly more as his breathing deepened and his eyes narrowed slightly, his fingers in his pockets balling into fists upon finding that not only had the presence kept up, but was getting _closer_.

Finally he stopped and rounded on the person, schooling his features as he did so, as it was rude to appear angry upon one's first meeting in a civil setting. The only sign of his apparent surprise was the barely noticeable raise of his eyebrows upon catching sight of his 'lost puppy' follower.

A pair of off-jade eyes sparkled in both merriment, yet showcased her visible anxiety of approaching him. Her long, silky shocking pink colored hair which hung to the small of her back swayed lightly in the breeze. Tsukune, though he wouldn't admit it even under threat of death, found the single rebellious strand of hair atop her head to be cute.

She stood half a head shorter than himself and looked slightly up into his chocolate eyes from where she stood, three feet away. Her hands were clasped together before her as a nervous smile pulled on her lips. She looked like she wanted to say something, but was far too nervous to do so, thus Tsukune took initiative, "Yes?"

Immediately, her cheeks flushed some and her eyes became slightly unfocussed as they threatened to look away before she calmed herself, "A-Ano, I just wanted to thank you for... yesterday."

He stared at her for a moment, before deciding to nod, "It's fine. Don't let him get you in that position again." With his words spoken, he began to walk off again, only to hear Moka address him once more.

"A-also, thank you for the juice!"

His eyes widened a fraction before they narrowed just as much, "Think nothing of it." He had hoped that he wouldn't regret being kind to her, yet he was beginning to see that it was an error in his judgment. He had hoped that, in helping her he could hopefully prevent someone from suffering as he did, and he had produced the tomato juice in an effort to take her mind off of the events. He did not, however, want a friend or a follower from the event; he had found that friends were fickle, regardless of age, affiliation, or walk of life.

Friends in school had proven to merely be mooching piles of compost, for when he refused to give them hints as to school-work, and refused to comment on why so many of the girls in school seemed drawn to him, despite his dislike of the treatment, some abandoned him in lieu of mooching off of the coattails of someone more.. susceptible to their begging.

Others were far to invasive of his personal life, wanting to know every detail of his life from birth up until the day after tomorrow, right at that moment. They didn't understand that some secrets should stay buried, and that he didn't wish to divulge his life's story to someone who was not even entirely close to him, or could even hope to understand what he went through. So many of them fell away from him due to his lack of being agreeable.

The rest of those who wanted to know about him intimately had been pushed away due to somehow not understanding his fury when they were caught rifling through his belongings in an effort to uncover information about their 'friend'. All it took was breaking one of their hands for that; not a bad price -as theft in the Middle East at one time meant lopping off a hand- to be paid, for them all to leave him by the way-side.

Then there were the fangirls. Truly, he hated them, but not for the reason one would imagine. It was the way they carried themselves, the way they asserted themselves as beyond everything but the object of their admiration, as if they were demi-gods and the only being who was better than they was he.

To some, this might seem like a great batch of friends; a group that would do anything and everything to please you and defend your honor. A group of followers who would fetch you anything and damn near lay down their lives for you. A group of loyalists so tight that nothing could shatter their resolve... But that was just it; so obsessed they were, that had he accepted their presence, they would have become the flakiest friends in existence.

They banded together as a group before he returned their affection, but once he did, they would turn on one-another and drive the others to leave. In addition, they would all too easily be swayed by someone who was even slightly more influential/powerful/handsome than himself and leave him by the way-side. It was too much of a gamble, and if there was one thing he did not enjoy, it was taking chances without a solid forty-percent in his favor.

A few hours later found Tsukune sitting in his English class, one of the two required language courses, the other being Japanese. As some monster spoke their own language, they were taught the most common language of the world, and the language of the land for which most monsters first tried to emerge into the human world through.

He was currently listening to his teacher, a Daisuke 'Excellent' Maki, explain the intricacy of human language and especially the two extremes in English; the abnormal and extreme extent to which words were spelled with either added or missing letters and their pronunciations for which sometimes didn't even match the phonetic sound of the word -this last edict thumbing American English, more than European.

He was steadily counting down the time until the bell sounded and he could get out of the dreary class; he had learned with the help of his sharingan the majority of the English language was at his disposal, as was a fairly descent Irish accent, and a slightly believable Bostonian accent.

It took five minutes that lasted every bit of the eternity that it was for the class to be let out and Tsukune brought his crimson-hued memory of his schedule into his mind, noting that his next class was Physical Education with Okuto Katsubo-sensei. Getting to the class was a whole different matter, as he had yet to actually migrate to the gym, and as such was clueless as to where to go for the most part.

He found that he couldn't keep his mind off of the happenings of the previous night. He would constantly hear the words of those spoken in his dreams speaking fractured sentences. It unnerved him because not only was he hearing his dreams whilst awake, but the worst part was that he wasn't actually hearing anything repeated; rather, it was fragments of what they were going to say... it was usually half a word, maybe three words at once, but all the same, it was worrisome.

The teen also found himself actively wondering about this morning, with Moka. The pink haired girl seemed friendly, and contrary to his initial observation, he found that she didn't have that sickening fixation most girls seemed to have, and while appreciative, he knew the look in her eyes as one that he used to hold before he blocked all but the most subtle notions of his emotions from showing without his consent; loneliness and desolation.

He blinked as he happened upon a strange sight that caused the hairs on the back of his neck to stand up. Men, from all four years of Youkai Academy were gathered in this particular corridor, squashed against one another to the point that it would have been incessantly unbearable many times over had he been in the middle of the group.

Yet these fools seemed to not care at all how little space they had between themselves, and were far more fixated on something in the center of the hall junction. So much so that they were practically _drooling_ over themselves, and in fact, some were.

As he pushed passed the group, he deadpanned and he resisted the urge to roll his eyes as a deep breath was sucked into his lungs from the sight before him. 'Can this girl _ever_ stay out of trouble?' Tsukune found himself wondering in mild frustration as he pushed to the forefront of the group of infatuated students in order to get a clearer view.

Before him -by a good fifteen feet- stood Moka, her satchel bag -which he had just realized she hadn't had with her earlier- dropped on the ground beside her as her face was screwed up in astonishment and mortification. Her green pupils were contracted and it looked as if disgust was quickly growing within her. The reason?

Standing before her in a stance that exuded confidence and sexuality was a woman who was almost equal in height with the pink haired girl. Her uniquely cerulean hair framed her face lightly in the form of bangs, and the rest of her hair was held back behind her head in a loose ponytail with a purple ribbon upon which a golden star resided on the clip of the decorative ribbon.

Her violet eyes stared into Moka's green pair, mischievous intent and unspoken taunts dancing within them as her lips pulled into a saucy smirk. The plaid skirt which she wore, truly the only part of her uniform which could be called as such, was crinkled, and by the way many of the guys were staring and whispering about it, he could only infer that it had ridden up at some point and revealed whatever she was wearing -or lack thereof- under it.

The obvious reason for Moka's feelings, aside whatever the girl may have said? Her sweater clad torso was entirely too close to Moka's, and the large lumps pressing against the fabric which contorted against the firmness of Moka's own blazer clad chest from the bra she obviously wore was a good guess.

He shook his head, 'Why? Why me?' The reason for this thought was, as he attempted to leave the area without alerting anyone to his presence whilst he scoffed at the absurdity of the situation, the blue haired bombshell happened to notice him, "Oh, Moka-chan! I see your little boyfriend!"

The pink haired girl blinked and looked over to the cold, distant brunette boy who had frozen mid-step, "W-wha! H-He's not my-" It was too little, too late as the bluenette, who had introduced herself to Moka as Kurumu Korono, rushed over to Tsukune and immediately latched onto his arm, pressing her miraculously soft breasts onto the captured limb where they molded to the appendage.

For a moment, Moka was worried for Tsukune's well-being, especially after hearing of Kurumu's plan to charm every boy in the academy in order to find her Destined One. That was, until she remembered just how unapproachable and cold he seemed to be and that look in his eyes; the look that bespoke of someone so disillusioned with the world that nothing would ever be infallibly beautiful to them.

Despite it, she still felt worry for the teen and hoped that he wouldn't fall for her Charm. Sure, she wasn't friends with him in the least, but... He was the only boy she had seen who was civil with her that didn't want her for pure lustful reasons, and the only person who had actually held a conversation -no matter how small- with her without an ulterior motive.

"Hey there, cutie! How are you doing today?" Kurumu inquired with a tenuous attempt to hide the glee bouncing around within her as plans formed in her head. Tsukune shifted his eyes without turning his head and let his eye glance down to his breast-smothered arm and then up to the girl's face that was looking eagerly up at him.

He supposed that he would have to say something to get her to release him. He sighed mentally, "Hello." The greeting held no emotion, no warmth, and was laced with a dismissive undertone.

All this was lost on the girl.

She giggled and maneuvered so that the soft melons that were her breasts weren't static on his arm, hoping that the large movements that were contorting her hidden breasts and the feel of them would arouse the boy even more than she thought he was. Unfortunately for Kurumu, all she managed to do was irritate the teen further who narrowed his eyes at her a fraction, "Is there something you want?"

She blinked and despite her efforts to hide it, a small smirk form, 'This is going to be so much easier than I thought!' She smiled warmly and pressed herself even closer to him, looking up into his eyes, and with a slight pout requested, "Would you look into my eyes please?" When he refused to budge, the cerulean haired girl felt the urge to both huff and grin, he wanted or needed a reason, it seemed.

Fine, she'd give him one. She let out a small moan, so light that he was likely the only one to hear it and leaned her head on his arm slightly, "Please, I have something to tell you about your girlfriend over there!" Tsukune sighed, he didn't exactly want to hurt the girl by pulling his arm free from her rather intense grip, so perhaps doing as she wanted for a moment would make her lapse in her grip just enough for him to get free without injuring her.

He turned to face her, "Fine, but she's not my girlfriend; she's not even my friend."

Kurumu merely shrugged, "You're probably just saying that, but it doesn't matter anymore! You won't be her _anything_ now, '_Charm!_'"

Tsukune knew something was off the moment she shrugged and pulled on his arm harder, bringing him closer to her. At their current closeness, both their eyes were hidden by their hair and each-others head and body. He felt an odd energy pulse and on instinct activated his Sharingan.

Two crimson orbs of blood-drenched promises flashed into being from beneath their guise of chocolate brown eyes. The pupil retracted to that of slightly larger than a pin-prick and two tomoe swirled into being as they swam around the dark center of his eyes. The first tomoe perceived the ripples of youki converted to what he could only assume was psychic energy that emanated from the girl's eyes. The second tomoe, within the third perceived second had imprinted the image of the concentric waves exuding from her eyes and had picked it apart for later assimilation.

Then, for just a second, he felt his eyes glaze over and his vision fade before it was immediately restored. Tsukune stared at the girl, his crimson eyes spinning dangerously as she stared back, mesmerized by the beautiful spectacle that also gripped her heart in primal fear. She tentatively whispered, "D-do you love me?"

She was so worried, she knew she was easily in for the worst day of her possibly very short life if he wasn't charmed. Something within her felt intensely fearful of the boy upon seeing those crimson eyes. It was as if she were facing an apex predator who's den she had just stumbled into and managed to awaken the beast within from its slumber.

Her breath caught in her throat and she grew numb when his eyes suddenly narrowed, clearly furious with the girl before him. As if to reflect his anger, the two tomoe in his eyes sped up in their orbit until they were spinning rapidly enough that they almost had their own after-images, and as if to accentuate this, his crimson orbs appeared to become more radiant as the crimson seemed to deepen in color.

He leaned his head down, so low that he was by her ears and understandably those watching grew jealous and Moka was biting the nail on her index finger in worry for her acquaintance, believing him to possibly have been charmed.

From his place next her ear, he released a heated breath, "Whatever you just tried, you messed up. You brought me into this with the intent of hurting Moka, who I am not friends with and am not romantically involved with. You were willing to assault me, without cause, to achieve your own ends..."

She shivered, fearful that he was going to snap her neck, which he could easily do from right here. The pressure he was emitting from his presence alone was almost suffocating her; it was so strong, and yet it didn't extend very far -she felt it get insurmountably weaker just a foot behind her... To have so much refined power...

Tsukune seemed to hiss out his next words, "You're lucky I don't break you in twain... Now, leave me and do not approach myself, or Moka again unless you plan to make amends..." She almost relaxed, as much as she could being as fearful as she could; she was sure she was close to peeing herself out of fear, "Yet, if you dare to even think of tormenting either of us, I will not leave you unscathed."

He leaned up from her and cast his brown eyed gaze across the crowd, until it landed on Moka. Her innocent eyes were almost brimming with tears until they made contact with the deep chocolate eyes that acted as dual portals to the frozen, barren tundra that he displayed to the world before him. For a mere moment, she was sure she saw the edges of his lips upturn into a miniscule smirk before falling to the stoic neutrality which he normally wore.

Wordlessly, Tsukune turned his back on the vaguely shivering and pale blue haired bombshell, and the immensely relieved girl who's jade eyes looked him over as he walked off. He had no idea that his display of actively resisting Kurumu would leave very large ripples in the ocean that was Youkai Academy's social atmosphere.

After the incident in the halls with the odd neon-blue haired girl whom Tsukune found himself having mixed feelings about, the rest of the school day had breezed by with little incident beyond the normal mild irritation and redundancy that accompanied one's average first day of school. Granted, it was slightly elevated; especially with the classes that held relevancy with monsters, but even those proved to be the same routine.

By the end of his school day, he had assimilated the strangely deceptive, yet simple, school hallways and paths which led to his classes. Speaking of which, he had found that he had a rather standard schedule for the school, despite how odd it operated.

His first class happened to be World History, with Shizuka Nekonome. He found that he easily excelled at most of her class, but when she broke out a little trivia about certain things that monsters had a part in, he was clueless. Who would have guessed that one of the reasons that Napoleon Bonaparte's crusade came to an end was due to his army disturbing a family of Yeti who made the battle in the freezing Russian winter hell, and managed to help kill off a good quarter of his men.

His second class turned out to be Math with Kagome Ririko, an odd woman to be sure. The mere fact that the obviously attractive woman was allowed to actually wear a corset to school, despite it being somewhat reasonably hidden beneath her blouse was cause for minor alarm. He found her to be very passionate about her class, and even more so about the well-being and studiousness of those within, made apparent by her willingness to help a boy out who sat beside him, yet whack another across the room with an ill-placed text book against his head for making a crack about math being irrelevant.

The Third class happened to be Daisuke Maki's English class. He was loathe to attend the class; the man was an imbecile -not in his knowledge, but in his actions- and Tsukune had decided upon hearing the word, 'Excellent!' escape him for the ninth time in a five-minute period that he would lose no sleep if the man suddenly disappeared from the Earth.

Fourth happened to be Gym with Okuto Katsubo. The brunette boy found that the man was a descent enough teacher, if slightly harsh in his critique. Despite this professionalism, he refused to allow his guard to falter as the man left a large presence in the room that _tasted _foul. He wasn't sure what it was; maybe it was the way the man seemed to slink about the gymnasium, or the way his voice gained an edge when he called out the name of a girl who was apparently absent that was to be sitting a space across from him, a Shira-something or other. Either way, he'd keep his eyes on this one.

Lunch was taken after Gym, and it proved to be... disturbing. In spite of them being in a school that was to help with the assimilation of monsters into the human world, they certainly spared no expenses in ensuring that they cooked something that one monster or another would find delectable from their home-lands.

With nothing better to do, and a slightly hungry stomach griping at him, the brunette boy took a tray that had a steamed water-creature that looked to be a cross between an eel, and a barracuda. A side of some fluffy brown...stuff was placed beside it where it seemed to froth for a moment before smoothing out. He found solace in the fact that string beans were normal, but was once again forced to sigh as the apple he picked up seemed to have wrinkled and warped in such a way that it had a face on it. He topped all this off with a can of soda.

He absently noted that a shade of pink hair could be seen through the sea of students in green across the cafeteria. He made no effort to attract it's owner's attention, though.

Once he was stuffed and full, he was off to Monster Health, one of the classes devoted to monsters rather than humans. This class, taught by an Ukitaki Kin, explained the many ways in which different races would have to accommodate human medicines into their systems, and basic understanding of youkai anatomy. This was the only class in which they would be allowed to learn of each others monstrosity, at the most basic level -when they were sophomores. Kin was very professional, and the one time she mentioned genitalia and one student laughed, he was immediately reprimanded and informed that he would have a _ton_ of work tacked on to his normal homework.

Considering the fact that this last class was two-hours long, he found that the school day ended directly afterward. Three classes had still needed to be visited and as such, he assumed that they would be taken tomorrow in place of Math, Gym and English. They were Japanese with Fubuki Shinji, Ulrich Weisberg taught Human Communications -a class which would help monsters get accustomed to the proper tact and nuances of human contact and conversation between different social groups and nationalities, as well as help them with the task of getting an occupation in the human world. The last was chemistry, and oddly there were three question marks next to the space where the professor's name was to be placed.

He had made his way across the academy grounds, his wanderings taking him vaguely towards the dorms as he zigzagged through the wooded lands. The boy arched an eyebrow as he found a fairly large section of the grounds were covered in gravestones of several different makes. He toyed with the thought that they were real, but shook the notion from his mind; no one would actually bury their children here at the school, and he doubted that the headmaster would allow them to be in an dang- What was he thinking! Danger was everywhere! Even if he wouldn't allow it, it would find them.

He blinked as a ghastly wind blew through the clearing which he currently stood, batting and nipping at his unruly hair with it's strong gusts. Tsukune blinked as he found himself feeling somewhat empowered by the wind; it wasn't immense by any means, but he could tell that he had a little more energy than before. -still almost negligible, though.

The brunette boy was about to continue on his tryst through the woods when he heard it, a sound carried faintly on the wind. It sounded a great deal like a scream, and with a little more concentration he found it to be feminine. His chocolate eyes narrowed into a thin glare, 'Why would a girl be screaming? It could be someone playing, or perhaps whoever it was had fallen and hurt themselves.'

He let out a sigh, 'Well, whoever it is, I hope help comes for them soon. Don't want that prick, Saizou swarming them... like... vultures...' His mind shut down for a fraction of a second before it shot awake and his teeth clenched together, "That had _better_ not be Saizou once again." Upon hearing the scream drift along the soupy air once more, he compared it to his memory of Moka's voice. If those in the graves had the ability to see from their eternal rest, they would have only seen a werewolf shoot off faster than Tsukune did.

The boy was little more than a flash as he ran at his top speed, his legs aching and his chest burning from a complex mixture of physical strain and fury. He hopped and planted his feet against a tree, then pin-balled to one next to it until he reached a branch. He took no time in launching himself through the canopy of the nearly leafless flora, landing on every other branch with the speed and height of his jumps. So much was his concentration focused elsewhere that he not once faltered in his steps even as a handful of the weaker branches cracked and fell seconds after he landed on them.

This was another aspect of his training which Asura had taught him; whenever possible, always be taller than your opponent. Not only was the vantage point a great boon, but as history shows; most battles won were done so due to the winning side being on higher ground. Asura had also explained that if he were ever on a surface which could allow him to perpetually jump, then he should do so; he would be able to use the momentum and power of the first to haul him through several more jumps with minimal effort on his own part.

He had explained, at the end of Tsukune's intermediate training, that a true master would be able to handle running on the branches of a tree without the worry of falling.

With his rage fueling his speed, the wielder of the Pinwheels of Despair soon found himself across the Academy grounds in yet another clearing near the women's dormitories. His eyes narrowed as he made the last three jumps until he had reached a position from which he could see into the clearing.

Looking like the scene one would see in a horror movie, Moka, playing the part of the beautiful victim, was backed up against a tree, body shrunken in upon itself in fright as she gazed out in fear at the being before her. Her brilliantly pink hair was tussled and frayed from a struggle of some kind, as were her clothes -what was left of them.

Her skirt looked to have been ripped off on the side, a ragged slit now extending up the left thigh to the waistband as it hung to her with what little tensile strength it had left. Her pale pink panties could be glimpsed from this tear, revealing little bats in black stitching to be on the cloth knickers.

The Blazer which she wore had been ripped near the lapels, but despite it, they still refused to completely rip off of her person. The only undamaged bit of clothing she had was her white button up blouse beneath the green blazer which looked to be wrinkled from the struggle.

Opposing her was what could only be considered a true monster. Eight foot tall stature supported an immense frame of muscle-bound sinew and tendons that bulged beneath tightly stretched and thick brown skin. blonde hair spiked backwards in an oily, soggy mess as it hung to the beast's shoulders where two thick pieces of tendon, bone, or muscle pushed the skin up to accommodate for it's cable-like form as it crossed over his shoulder from his pectorals to his shoulder blades. From these cables, four bony plates extended out in spikes with the barest membrane of the thick skin covering them.

His arms were almost as thick as Tsukune's body as each and every muscles twitched with the barest of movement from it's form. More cables of sinew formed through it's forearms and up to it's hands, crisscrossing and creating something that looked like a warped version of gauntlets which had long-since fused to the beast's arms.

More bony protrusions formed on it's hands inversely to each knuckle, creating a very grotesque spectacle. Even more so than the hands were the fact that the overly muscled abdomen seemed to suddenly shrink to near human proportions, leaving the true state of it's being beneath the school issued uniform pants, save for two spike-like protrusions on the knees.

Two sickly green-tinted yellow eyes stared out hungrily at the assaulted girl, a beady black pupil sitting in the center of the jaundiced-looking sclera. His maw opened and revealed a double row of sharp, pointed teeth as his sickly-looking pale tongue stretched out to impossible lengths and began to move over to Moka.

"**Now, now, Moka; that's certainly no way to act towards your husband!"** The beast exclaimed in a deep rumble, his ability to talk clearly not hindered in spite of the fact that his tongue was extended at least a foot and a half out of his mouth. The appendage- for that was what it was clearly classified as of now- moved around Moka, circling her back and then coming full-circle around her stomach before the slack in the tip reached up an 'caressed', or licked her cheek, making the girl shudder and whisper out an 'eww'.

"W-what!" Moka eeped in both disgust and panic, now gripping his apparently strong tongue in an attempt to pry it off of her. She felt sick at the stomach from having to touch the slimy thing, and a stronger stage of panic was beginning to rear its head when she couldn't even move the thing, despite the fact that she had pushed Saizou off of her with her inherent strength.

Saizou laughed callously, his eyes seeming to undress and taste her from the leer that existed in them, "**Oh, I've been thinking; why **_**eat**_** you when I can just as easily make you my own! Maybe I can't eat you at once, but you can survive a few pieces of flesh missing here and there... And I'll have all the pleasure I'll ever need, to boot! Haha!" **

The brutish monster made to move forward and simultaneously pull the pink haired girl to himself, but the plan was sullied quickly. Saizou inadvertently received a free tongue piercing courtesy of the ball-point pen which was stuck in the center of his pale oral appendage.

With a howl, the disturbingly muscled being retracted his bleeding tongue and hissed out an angry growl, spitting a wad of blood to the ground as he narrowed his insidious eyes, turning his sights to the direction where the pen had been launched from. Upon finding the location, he stopped and stood frozen in place.

Moka turned to see what it was that had her assailant so terrified, only to find that the familiar brown-haired boy who had assisted her the day prior was now standing before Saizou, his right fist imbedded in the monster's lowest set of abs, clearly where his skin was weakest. To add insult to injury, his other hand remained tucked into his pant pocket, giving the not-so-false image that he had, at the moment, little to worry about from the monstrous being.

"**You! What are you doing here, ass-clown!"** Siazou exclaimed in a harsh voice, a mix of his true-form's natural sound and the wheezing from having his apparently unprotected solar-plexus assaulted, thereby being absent on air. The blonde being received his reply by way of an elbow to the chin which, despite the strength that Tsukune put in it, did little to stun the monster whose upper body was far more adapted to taking such damage.

The sickly looking beast-man granted in minor pain and set his yellow eyes back onto the frail-looking problem before him and allowed a smirk to pull at his thin lips to reveal the off-white dual-layered teeth. The thick muscles in his bulging neck and shoulders strained as he tilted his head to the side where a sharp, loud crack emanated from his body, "**Heh, so that's all your skinny ass has got, huh? Pathetic, to think you gave me such a beating as a human.**"

Saizou allowed a sharp chuckle to escape his large maw and the only warning Tsukune got was the impossible-to-miss tensing of his muscles before he took off after him, bridging the short distance between the two in moments. It was only thanks to the training he had with Momochi Asura that he managed to duck under the massive clawed hand that swiped at him. Tsukune winced as his legs burned immensely from this new strain, still not recovered even remotely from the strain he put on them with his speed boost.

Thus, the brunette boy was in no position to do anything but narrowly be caught by a dull spiked knee to the chest that sent him careening to the side, away from Moka and into a tree. Despite the pain, Tsukune pulled himself up from the spider-webbing trunk and jumped to the side just in time to allow a maddened and monstrous Saizou to tackle and utterly demolish the weakened tree, sending chunks of bark everywhere.

In the dust that was kicked up, he only made out the slightly darker silhouette of Saizou in time to identify that it was a massive backhand which connected with his head and shoulder, sending him flying across the clearing once again to rag-doll thrice on the ground, nearly thirty feet away. Tsukune grunted to himself in frustration, 'I can't resort to using the Sharingan; if my first encounter with this beast requires it, then what does that say for my ability to fight by myself in this world... What trump card do I have, if I must always fall back on it?'

The teen pulled himself up and vaguely heard a worried warning from the fearful pink-haired girl warning him that Saizou was once again charging right for him. Tsukune took in a breath and jumped to the side once again as the muscle-bound creature that his enemy truly was, only to find that his prehensile tongue was rushing at him, prepared to ram into his throat. Thinking fast, he allowed it to get closer and quickly reached past and grabbed it, using it as grapple to spring himself over the appendage and slightly above the brute.

"Do not think so highly of yourself, Komiya-san. One slip up is all I need." Tsukune warned as he wound his leg back, building tension in his quadriceps until the burning mixed with the background pain of his nearly-destroyed muscles and unleashed it in painful knee-blow to the back of the monstrel's neck. Unfortunately, between an increased capacity to deal with pain and the armor of thick, bulging muscles that shielded the vital anatomical parts of his upper body, the blow to the neck merely caused the once-human beast to groan in pain whilst being staggered two steps.

"**Heh, if that was your anticipated 'slip-up', punk, then**," Siazou began gruffly as his enormous tongue swiped around behind Tsukune and swatted him in the side, sending him to skid spread-eagle against the ground behind him. He had rolled over and cleared the dust and dirt from his eyes in time to watch as the massive eight-foot-tall beast fell upon him, driving his knee in to his gut where everything exploded into white-pain before fading to a dulled pastel of the world with dots swimming along the fringes of his vision, the warbled voice of the bastard above him finishing his taunt was heard, "**killing your bitch-ass will be simple!**"

Saizou seemed to raise himself as if to dismount himself from Tsukune, yet right as the brunette boy made to move out from under the brute in preparation of a counter-attack, Saizou dropped his weight and drilled his dull-spiked knee right back into the teen's abdomen, causing him to let loose a jangly gasp as spittle and minute blotching streams of blood escaped from his mouth.

Two more knee-lunges into his stomach followed, and as Saizou stood overhead the asphyxiating teen, a snarled sneer came upon his lips as he leered between the downed boy and his chosen reward across the clearing with yellow orbs, "**Look at you, can't even catch your breath! You dared to tell me to stay away from **_**her**_**, but it seems that you were all talk... Pathetic!**"

Understandably, the monstrel was caught off-guard when, as he turned away from the boy with nary a thought aside claiming his ill begotten 'prize' in Moka Akashiya, enlisting his hardened tongue to smash the boy's face in behind him, he found a searing pain marking his vision red in pain and rage lash itself across his cheek.

He whipped his bony head around, his muscles rippling and unseen bones creaking at the fast movements, until he was knocked back again. This time by being launched into the air from a blow to his jaw, arching his shocked and limp body upwards a foot or two before it crashed back to the earth, sending up a large gust of loose dirt into the air. The groans that escaped the pierced monster could easily be heralded as an automobile's engine sputtering into a stall.

"**Fucking bitch, I'll teach her to attack me at the last second...**" The mucus-brown skinned beast muttered in a growl, gnashing his double set of pointed teeth together both in pain and in anger; the thought that Moka had attacked him rising to his attention as he pushed himself up from his kneeling position. Letting a low groan escape his tight, thin lips, Saizou straightened himself and began to dust his body off only to narrow his sickly eyes upon looking up.

It took him a moment to realize that Moka was still cowering in the spot which she had been when that punk interrupted his business. The fact that she didn't even try to escape both made him chuckle within his mind, enjoying the fact that she seemed to be falling into line with her proper place; just as it made him physically sneer in her direction at how _stupid_ the girl was, to not have taken the opportunity to escape while he was distracted. Sure, it would have made him angry, but the chase was half the game.

As his mind cleared of feeling and intent towards his 'prize', they began to fill with further calculations that followed the logic of, 'If Moka is still there, then who attacked me?' The brutish serial rapist stretched his exorbitantly muscular neck around in an effort to see his assailant, so as to see the face of the next victim to become little more than a bloody paste on his stomping grounds. His eyes cast over the ground behind him as far as he could, and made out the ground which was stained in a burnt sienna of partial mud from the arrogant punk's blood leaking from his form, where his tongue had crushed his cranium.

A ghastly wind blew past him, and he immediately twisted his head around at breakneck speeds to visually intercept the cause of the wind. A trail of dust blew past him, obscuring his vision; a frustration which he alluded to with an angered grunt, "**Stop dicking around, show yourself!**' A soft series of earthly hums that sounded almost like haunted vexing laughs emanated around him, each soft sound coming from a discernibly different area, yet the reverberations frayed his ability to pinpoint the exact location after a moment.

A glint of red, like a ruby revealed in the lime-light for a scant second shone in his peripheral, yet when he jostled his head in the direction all that awaited him was a gust of wind and a cloud of obscuring dust. Another glint in the other eye had him jerking in the direction, only to find the very same awaiting him. He stumbled about, his teeth grit in anger and various grunts of promised anguish borne from his inexhaustible rage.

"Do not seize as you are; your fate is secured... You must only question: when will the die of fate be cast?" the words were carried on the wind, and in spite of trailing a tinge of scorn on its coat-tails, there was little sound actually marking it as spoken words than a hallucination induced by frustration and adrenaline.

"**W-what was that? Show yourself, punk!" **Saizou harshly barked to the dark, encompassing woods and the thin gusts whipping about the small clearing. As if to answer the strained, wrathful demand, another glint of brilliantly deep rubies shone amongst a shadow of ambiguous form appeared before him.

To the monstrous mass whose muscles inadvertently bulged every other second, the twin smoldering marbles resembling distant red-dwarfs gleaming in a perfect night's sky seemed to stare balefully at him with almost an all-encompassing pity- not for himself, but for an unspoken act not yet preformed.

The wind gained an edge of nipping cold to it, more so than the light chill wisps that had been inhabiting the woods thus far. The winds now gained maws of razor ice, as if the minions of ancient Fenris were biting his heels; their toxic saliva so cold it froze the blood solid. He shivered involuntarily, feeling as if the temperature -already unnaturally low, may have been dropping even further.

And then... It vanished, after what felt like minutes, perhaps hours of staring in to the same place as the winds nipped at his thick skin. He blinked and noticed that the shrouded form as well as those hauntingly infuriating eyes were absent before him. The suddenly warm air infiltrated his lungs as he readied another verbal rant to bring out his assailant, only for the air to be knocked out of his lungs by the fact that a powerful blow had managed to completely make him choke on his breath and stagger as spittle escaped his maw with heaving breaths.

An elbow to the back of the head was easily made out by those capable of seeing it from a brief reveal which knocked the breathless man truly to his knees. He released a gagged grunt of pain as his eyes widened considerably and his double toothed maw fell open further, a thick line of spit snapping from his bottom lip.

Raspy voice was heard through the pained wretches of the fallen man, " **Piece of shit... I dare you to d-urgh! Ugh... Do that again.**" Unlike the previous times however, rather than glancing around, he kept his beady eyes on a single, focused point near his feet. Sure enough, it seemed his had taken to answering his call, and aimed to land another flurry of blows on the beast-man. Just like the last few times, the wind shifted and for a second, a trace of scent that was so faint it was hardly there invaded the earthly ambiance at around the time that a faint flicker was seen.

The blow connected to Komiya's forehead, except unlike the previous times, he didn't go anywhere and nor did he yell in pain. In fact, the unsettling grin that stretched abnormally about his already strange face pointed to the action being in his favor, and indeed it was; against the tree across the clearing laid the coughing and scuffled form of Tsukune.

The Monstrel hacked out a boisterous, mocking laugh as he pushed himself to his full, massive height. Step by step, he approached the recovering teen and began to crack his overly muscular and bony knuckles, "**So, it was all you, was it?**" If possible, his grin seemed to grow larger as he drew closer to the brunette teen, "**Escaped death and instead of running, leaving with your life, you attack me? My, you're quite stupid.**"

A cold wind blew through the clearing a second before the towering monster was within arms-reach of the teen who had managed to struggle to his knees, absently wiping a thin trail of blood leaking from somewhere along his brow somewhat clear moments earlier. His eyes downcast and his hair further blocking little more than a fleeting glean of his expression, Saizou was denied any pleasure from his coming taunt, "**You thought that you could stop me from taking what is mine? I told you, didn't I, that I would have what I wanted?**"

The pierced blond teen who now looked hardly like his previous self clicked his tongue, letting loose a fleeting, almost whimsical sigh, "**It's almost sad; the young, friendless nobody decides to take a stand for once in his life, for his first and only friend. You know, I'm almost tempted to let you live—to let you flourish and wallow in your failure, and see what becomes of you... See if you can become a true Ayashi; not the semi-selfless fool before me.**"

A dry leaf crunched under the approaching, gloating teen as he finally came to a stop not four feet away from Tsukune. The only sound between the two of them for the duration of the pregnant pause was that of the two young men's breaths cycling. Saizou glared down into the crown of the brunette schoolboy's head awaiting some kind of reaction and was growing agitated by the second at the lack of one. The agitation grew worse with every moment that he was not replied to, and it culminated rather quickly with a massive right-hook to the downed teen's head, sending him tumbling head over heels several times across the ground, kicking up small mounds of dust until he finally hit a tree and curled in on himself from sheer inertia.

There was no time to recover as the massively built monstrel took little time to reach his victim and it was with little thought and no remorse that another powerful blow from the muscular and bone-plated fist connected with the brunette boy- this time ramming home into his sternum with so much force that his body bounced from the stagnant ground, a fact which was not lost on Saizou. A powerful knee found its place in the young Aono's side and sent him careening into the dirt, only to be picked up by the sickly long tongue of the beast and have himself pile-driven into the ground.

As the moderately sized cloud of dust began to clear and the thin edges of the miniature crater formed in the soft ground began to show through the slightly opaque blanket, the beaten teen's body could be seen struggling to his feet as several areas of his face were obscured by the crimson paint that was his own blood. Now matted in his hair with the dirt and sparse grass, and with numerous scuffs upon his clothes, the boy looked a mess.

Yet as he pulled himself up, something seemed to be different about him; he seemed... more fluid. He shook less than he had previously when he struggled, and he also seemed to not be in near as much pain as perceived earlier- what little he let slip that he felt. The towering beast that was Saizou stepped up to Tsukune and grinned sadistically, palming a fist as his harsh voice escaped his overly-toothed maw, "**It's time to get you out of the way. I've toyed with you enough; you lack the... fun I so expected of you as my prey. I hope being ripped to pieces is incredibly excruciating for you.**"

If it were possible, the muscle mass in his right arm almost doubled as he cocked it back and released it, intending for a violent clash with the prone boy's body. The fist crashed with such force that the crater that had been formed before was evident even obfuscated as it was. Maddening cackles ripped through the bi-jawed beast that Saizou Komiya possessed, his head reared back as he howled his raging joy towards the lunar satellite hanging in the sky, covered by light cloud cover and hazed with a thin mix of red, metallic smelling mist.

Moka stared at the dust-covered battleground and felt tears welling up in her eyes, the salty drops prickling at the edges of her eyes as they tried to run down her cheeks. Lips pressed together tightly and her tiny fangs were close to puncturing two pin-pricks into them due to the worry and despair she felt.

The sinking pit in her stomach continued to plummet further and further into oblivion as the maddening cackles Saizou released grew louder and higher in pitch as the beast no doubt began to loose his mind.

"You celebrate before victory has been assured... So foolish." Moka let out as gasp and turned her head at break-neck speeds to seek out where the voice had come from, as the tears finally leaked from her eyes. Saizou simultaneously hissed out in rage as he rushed out of the blinding cloud and stared up into a tree almost directly across from where he stood. Sixty-four teeth gnashed together in anger as his pupils dilated and his hands balled into fists.

"**How! How did you survive! I **_**felt**_** you turn into paste under my fist!"** He roared in frustration, pointing an accusing finger up to the steely teen. Tsukune felt a small tug of his lips into a miniscule smirk and closed his eyes tighter than they were, then slowly took in a breath and let it out.

"It's quite simple," Tsukune explained monotonously, rolling his shoulders casually, "You mashed the corpse of a rabbit into paste. I moved at the last second." The blond narrowed his eyes and snarled out something akin to a snort that ended in a hiss. He didn't wait any longer to, with lightning speed, lash out with his tongue, stretching it to lengths that far exceeded anything either Moka, nor Tsukune thought possible.

It had just smashed through the limb directly next to the sharingan wielder when he flickered away to a limb half-way down the tree, "I've given you enough time to give up peacefully... Now, you've chosen to end your life." He jumped away as the appendage came ripping down.

In a series of barely perceptible flashes, Tsukune rushed towards Saizou with his right fist balled up tight at his side. It didn't matter that the towering monstrel used his exceptional muscle control to try and whip the teen with the side of his tongue, as the boy merely dashed out of the way.

The brunette young man was a mere few inches from being in range to deliver his punch into the face of that damnable bastard when the strain of his technique finally reach the point that even his willpower couldn't fully cover it and he ended up stumbling as his left leg buckled. It was all the time that Saizou needed and within the same second, he was a good foot back and the side of his muscular tongue had smashed into the boy' and tossed him a foot or so to the side.

He had no time to attempt to pull himself up as, as soon as he opened his eyes, Saizou's tongue came crashing down on the area he would have just been had he not rolled at the last second. Three more times, he had to dodge the odd appendage -almost getting hit on the last one as the ayashi adapted and attempted to hit him where he was going to roll to.

The freshman got up and grit his teeth as he tried to block out the searing pain that his torn muscles were screaming over and began to ready himself to use the technique once more. The fact that, with so much pain coursing through his lower extremities, he had to be still to concentrate enough wasn't an opportunity to be passed up by the blond monster.

A swish and flick was all the command needed in order for the pale-pink appendage to whip out and began to soar towards Tsukune. Several feet away, Moka's eyes widened and she screamed, "Tsukune-san, watch out!"

Moka and Saizou both watched with baited breath; one fearful and the other vindictive, as the monstrel's tongue reached three feet from Tsukune, then two, one. As the fourth second was ticked off from impact, and Moka's green eyes began watering just as Saizou's mouth was watering, something happened.

Tsukune's half-lidded, downward gaze snapped upward and his eyes were completely wide for the world to see, and with them were the two ominously glowing orbs with _three_ wildly spinning tomoe orbiting the central pupil. It was a fleeting and beautifully terrifying sight, for just as they both witnessed it, Tsukune vanished as the powerful oral muscle pierced through his vague after-image.

Before Saizou could hope to reel in his tongue, nor before the disrupted mirage was fully gone, the walking mass of muscle found his stomach being assaulted by three consecutive punches, followed by a powerful knee to the gut, sending him sliding back and greatly off balance. He was not given the courtesy of recovering, as the teen wielder of the sharingan nailed him solidly in the temple with an elbow and the ribs with his foot simultaneously.

In a wild effort, Saizou attempted to send his tongue out to swat at Tsukune, but he was rudely surprised when the pale appendage veered off in the opposite direction. Before he could even register that he had missed by such a large margin, a second Tsukune appeared before him and spun into a kick aimed for his head, which he brought his arms up to block. Only to find that he was struck in the small of his back, on his excessively exposed spine by the teen, and the other one was no-where to be seen.

"**W-what the hell...!**" Saizou exclaimed in pain as he folded down to his knees, attempting to reach for his back -an attempt for naught, as he was far too massive to be able to reach the area. His lack of attention cost him, and he found himself kneed in the chin, and no sooner was he tossed in the air by another kick to the stomach. As he fell down, a windmill kick launched the muscular being higher into the air,and as soon as he hit his crest, Tsukune was above him, and caught him in a lariat and spun, just above the ground, to add to the force in which he was slammed down.

Tsukune, a mere foot away from the small crater made by Saizou, collapsed to one knee and struggled to hold in the pained gasp that threatened to rip free from his esophagus. Closing his right eye as a means to concentrate, Tsukune worked to get the words out in between small pants, "I offer you one final chance; concede defeat and swear loyalty to me, and swear to never attempt anything upon Moka, unless given express permission."

Faint sickly-green eyes narrowed at the kneeling teen who had managed to best him with what seemed like so little effort, even in spite of the thrashing he had delivered and the several times he had nearly killed him. Saizou hissed out in frustration before he forced his eyes closed and grit his teeth as acid tainted words left his mouth, "...Fine, fine... I'll follow your lead, tch."

The monstrous teen seethed in anger and resisted the urge to crush the brunette boy's head when he glanced up at him with those damnable crimson eyes set in a glare, and lightly tilted his head in the pink-headed damsel's direction. In a biting, furious growl he begrudgingly nodded once, "I also promise to not do anything undesirable to Akashiya-san."

Tsukune allowed a small smirk to rest upon his lips as he regained his breath and slowly rose to his feet, even as unstable an attempt as it was, he somehow managed it with some grace. He made his way over to Saizou and looked down at the pain-riddled monster, "I'ts good that you conceded; I am truly averse to taking a life... Even one that could easily be lost with the darkness resonating about it."

Ignoring the glare that his mucus colored class-mate sent him, the Sharingan wielder knelt down some and offered him a hand to consolidate their truce. Komiya glanced at the offered hand, then up to the now chocolate-eyed teen whose barest hint of a smile was almost imperceptible, then back to his hand. He raised his own oversized hand and, for a moment, he hesitated before finally grasping Tsukune's hand and giving it a firm shake.

Right before he twisted his body weight and launched the near emotionless brunette into the air and out towards the tree-line which obscured a sudden cliff about thirty meters from Saizou. As Tsukune soared through the air, his crimson eyes ignited back into existence, and stayed locked on to Saizou who had begun to cackle as his prey was sent in to the woods, crashing into a few trees.

"**Ah, now that he's out of the way for the moment**," Green-yellow eyes blinked, and a long prehensile tongue trailed hungrily over his lips as he stared at the slowly back-peddling Moka, "**I think it's high time that you begin to take an active role in your new life!**"

Saizou grinned as the pinkette whimpered, panic gleaming in her jade eyes which darted about as she crawled backwards, repeatedly failing to stand up properly; always stumbling and falling back down. His tongue began to coil up within his maw, awaiting the time to strike at his helpless target, his eyes greedily taking in every movement that her ripped clothes revealed as they clung to her perspiring body.

She turned to look behind her, and lucky she did, as she was approaching a tree. With a little maneuvering, she managed to avoid trapping herself in that way, yet she was far from free. She couldn't help but to look back at the slowly enclosing beast who was taking his time to stalk her towards a dead end, and felt her eyes tear up, glistening lightly.

The jaundiced-looking eyes swathed over her body, undressing her with their sick gaze and imagining every immoral thought which their owner could every moment that their gaze lingered upon her flawless face, teary eyes, luscious thighs. Saizou could hardly contain himself, wanting to rush over to her and rip her clothes off, ravage her painfully, and possibly take a snack to go.

His enormous strides made quick work of catching up to the pinkette, despite his stalking pace. A massive, drool-letting, grin ripped his face in half as his prehensile tongue flicked to and fro in anticipation, awaiting to taste her delectable flesh, her sweet nectar, her crimson life's blood and the meat stained therein.

A guttural grunt escaped his mouth, wild desire that far exceeded that of the most rabid, starved beast known to humanity shone in the crazed monstrel's eyes, and on his twisted expression even more so. A single cackled-snort escaped him as, finally, Moka crawled herself against a tree and frantically glanced around in an attempt to secure an escape, but it was not to be- a fact that Saizou enjoyed, "**No where else to run, Akashiya-san... It was a nice chase, but now, I have you."**

He sighed after a moment, as Moka began to whimper and beg for him to not do what he was thinking of doing to her, "**I'll be nice; I'll offer you the deal I made earlier..."**

Saizou grinned as he reached down to grasp Moka, licking his lips as the tears finally spilled over her cheeks and a single sob wracked her petite frame, "**Now, tell me... Will you agree to be my woman; to do whatever the fuck I say? And, remember, I won't kill you right away if you agree; I'll just shave a slice here and there for a while, whad'ya say?"**

Moka stared up at him, her breath hitched deep within her as her mind was caught somewhere between and beyond terror and disgust. She opened her mouth to speak, but all that came out was a sound not unlike a croak of someone whom had discarded their voice long ago. She tried to speak, tried to voice something, but all that managed to escape were hollow hiccups and sobs, she couldn't even find a way to shake her head one way or the other.

Saizou Komiya was many things; most of them negative and horrid, and the main cause of such traits was the most glaring flaw- he was _not_ a patient man. This current lack of response by the terrified young woman was eating at him, and he had quite enough, **"Pathetic... I give you a descent deal, and you spit in my face without even the courtesy to verbally deny it. Fine, that's just fine; I'll enjoy ripping what's left of you to shreds after my cock is done with you!"**

Having decided on a course of action, the blond wasted no time in gripping Moka in his massive hand and wrapping his tongue around her; gripping her arms tight around the shoulder, squeezing one of her breasts, and caressing her cheek simultaneously. However, when Moka tried to squirm loose, she found herself shoved violently into the tree she had trapped herself on, and he mouth was soon seized by the beast, and his lips smashed upon hers.

Saizou was enjoying himself, enjoying the start of what would be his complete and total violation of the innocent Moka Akashiya's body, mind, and -if he did his job right- soul. His bone-plated, muscular hand had reached down and began to fondle her breast through her blazer, button-up shirt and bra. Meanwhile his other hand had snaked down her body and was cupping her bottom, and fingering the cotton cloth that separated him from her womanhood. He slowly snaked a finger past the elastic band hugging her thigh and began to search out the source of heat trapped under the intimate cloth, when something happened.

He had just found a slightly moist, fleshy flap of skin and prepared to delve into the folds within, when a creaking sound caught his attention, and he felt the woman in his arms whom was squirming suddenly begin to melt away into a tar-like substance. Her face began to droop downwards, her lips smeared and dripped off her face. Her hair fell out and became puddles on the ground, and her breasts splattered once they fell. All the while, the inverted and shrill sound of a possessed child cooed below the decibel of normal hearing.

Then, suddenly, it was all gone; Moka, the puddle she became, the tree which he was pressing his captive against. Then he noticed that rather than standing where he had been several minutes ago, the sky was directly in his vision and the ground was oddly jagged and looked to be peering out from the bottom of his field of vision.

The vertigo then came on, and he realized suddenly that he was falling; the wind whipping by as it tore at his clothes and hair, ruffling as he increased in speed. Saizou blinked twice and cast his eyes to either side, only to realize that the 'ground' he saw was really a cliff face. Yet, it was far too late for him to do anything about it, pain suddenly erupted from his back and quickly spread to his chest.

As his vision began to blur and become overly sensitive to the moon's light, he lazily shifted his vision upwards and stared in shock. Standing atop the cliff, barely a drinking-glass in size from the distance, stood the damnable boy who had caused him so much trouble. He felt something gurgle out of his mouth, and he couldn't help but to spit out the thick, rich blood that escaped and was brought to the realization that the last thing he remembered was tossing the brunette somewhere near the cliffs.

He coughed, and moments later a wave crashed upon his body, then another and another. Blinking away the darkening blur that sheathed his eyes ever more, Saizou could just make out the eery red glow that Tsukune's Sharingan gave off. The last thing he knew before the darkness claimed him was that, somehow, someway, that bastard had bested him even though he had given it his all. If he respected anyone at all, it would be him; for one reason: ...he had no clue how the hell that bastard had ended him so easily.

**As I stated, fight scenes aren't quite my forte, yet in direct conflict with my feelings and experience, I plan for many of those exact scenes to take place. I can only hope that I can bring my experience to a higher level and get better with it. So, tell me, how did you find this first fight scene... I ask you to grade me on three criteria; first, on the presentation. Second, on the flow of the fight. Lastly, I would like to know if the way I ended it was... sub-par. I feel I could have done better, but I left it as is on account of having no idea of just _how_ to make it better.**

**Beyond that, I hope you liked the encounter with Kurumu. It's a tad earlier than the manga and lacks the annoying introductory that is usually included in most every fanfiction. Also, I hope that my slight detail into his school-day and schedule was well-received; in most cases his day isn't even mentioned except once or twice in passing... **

**So, I hope that you'll review and tell me what I need to improve upon. I hope to one day be able to write on the level that Ou-Rex, Lord of the land of fire, and perhaps even Kenchi618 do.**


	6. Devil woman

**Good day to you all. Your Lord commands your eyes to read keenly upon this decree of thine excellence! For I, sayeth me, art immaculate in all mine glory! ...Okay, now that my power trip is over and done with, let's get on with business, shall we?**

**So, it's been a week or so since my last update. I'm not keeping explicit track, obviously. This chapter was a little difficult to write, but it came together surprisingly well. I had actually thought that I would be forced to end it early and have yet another short chapter -10K, or less, as is my new policy. **

**Onto the reviews!**

**Pyromania101- Chilling, you say? I'm glad I implanted the correct emotions, then. Yeah, my original version had Tsukune actually beating him without relying on the Sharingan, but I realized two things -one of which I can't explain here, due to later developments- and one of them was that I know this is a fantasy setting, but I want it to be fairly realistic. That includes the fact that Tsukune is amazing, by human standards now, but barely average towards the world of the monsters. He has a** **_lot_ of things he can and will likely have to improve upon.**

**I know, the stealing of the kiss was in mildly bad taste, but... compared to what _could_ have happened, I thought it would be a good point to subliminally piss Tsukune off with, and to cause an... infraction, of sorts, upon Moka. I'm glad I made the meeting with our favorite seductress believable, and I'm sure they'll become friends... but here are bound to be bumps in the road. Indeed, they do have that form of empathy, which will come in later. Heh, very astute, my friend. For better details to that question, read below. Just know, you're correct. Hmm, well, I tried to describe a very _familiar_ mangekyou sharingan. Reread the description and all will become clear -I hope. If not, it will be revealed in time, as will all things.**

**Garra King of the Sand- Thank you for your input. So a six? Alright, I'll try to add a bit more detail into the next fight scene I do. Would you mind, in a private emssage, elaborating on the kind of extra detail I might add? Thank you.**

**Hypothetical spiritual entity- Thank you, kind sir/ma'am.**

**Kuro-hebi13- Haha, I'm glad you can't. Now, if I could only get the other 5.9 billion denizens of Earth to be swept up in my web. Epitome of a typical Uchiha, huh? Well, I suppose he is, for now at least. I hope to bring him out of his shell some, but keep him grounded... if you catch my drift.**

**Orchamus- I'm quite pleased that you would give me all A's on that, and that I was able to keep you on your toes the whole time. I'm quite shocked that it didn't seem jerky, considering that the entire fight scene took me almost a week to write, with three full days of a temporary hiatus due to writers block. Thank you, it was a last minute thing; I was going to have him fight him to the cliff edge, but then I thought about it, went back and gave him a third tomoe after a little tweaking, and... voila. **

**Ramzal Von Enili- I'm glad I've gotten you addicted to his character development. There is no question of his attainment of the eyes, it is in the name and will be a large focal point in the story. In fact, you could consider them to be a supporting character, if not a main character, in and of themselves. Hmm, I haven't thought about it, but I can't answer you as of now; it would give too much away. I hope you understand.**

**Major Wallace- Thank you once more, Major Wallace.**

**SorryNeedAnAccount- Greetings, my friend. I suppose the name is fitting, considering most authors wouldn't recognize you from your speech/type patterns -odd that I would, come to think of it. Sadly, I know exactly what you mean, but I appreciate all of my reviewers... _Even_ those without accounts. You're quite welcome, and thank _you_ for reviewing in the first place. Meh, have you looked at my replies? I ramble far more than necessary, heh. **

**Huh, to tell the truth, I'm glad you brought that to my attention. I had assumed that everyone reading this would have had a little knowledge of Naruto, and the sharingan. I suppose its a good thing I've been explaining my take on the eye, and thanks to you, will continue to do so without any abridging. Of course, even those that have intimate knowledge will have my new philosophies and ideals thrust upon them, especially because of how this will all... tie together. **

**The dreams did their job then. They will all come together close to the time that I reveal the 'Voice's true identity and purpose. Of course, that is subject to change, but its where I have it planned, currently. As to his power? I've dropped hints, and part of the repercussions, shall we say will be seen here. Bullshit? I wish, it really is my worst; It took me upwards of a week to write it.**

**Shadow Angel Beta- Thanks, and they really aren't. It's fairly difficult for me to write them because I get frustrated when I can't describe what I see in my mind, or when writer's block sets in -which is when it happens the most. **

**Disclaimer: If I own, or profit from any of this, then may god strike me dead! …Well, look, I'm ali- *Dies of natural causes completely unrelated to the ownership of anything in this fanfiction***

**Chapter 6: Slighted Feelings**

Tsukune groaned and wiped his mouth clean once again as he flushed the toilet for the fourth time that night. He sighed and walked over to the sink and took up his toothbrush after squirting a small wedge of paste on it and proceeded to clean his mouth once more. His brown eyes were blood-shot and rimmed red with the unshed tears he had been holding back.

His stomach churned in an angry growl and struck him with thousands of molten iron needles every other second. A hiss escaped him as he turned right around a dry-heaved once more over the toilet, and then gripped at his sternum as the immense pain from the false alarm radiated outward.

The brunette teen wasn't quite sure what the cause of his sudden sickness, but it had to do something with the odd pain that had begun to burn in the back of his head, estimated to be near where both his ocular nerves connected to his brain, and where his thalamus was located. Yet, it wasn't just that which was bothering him; it seemed that a massive pressure had begun to press in his temples, yet further back- closer to his ears, than anything.

Tsukune groaned and gripped the sides of his head, digging his fingers randomly about his cranium in a fruitless attempt to numb the pain some. He could hardly think with the anxious pain running rampant through his mind, proverbially trashing his mind in a riot. Just as it hit its apex, it did as it had been doing and predictably faded out, leaving him with naught but a dull ringing and a slight swimming vision.

Slumping down next to the doorless, yet divided toilet wall, he placed his hands in his pockets and tried his best to ignore the sickening growl of his stomach as it churned upon itself. In an attempt to take his mind off of it, he began to think back to a few hours ago, right after he had defeated Saizou in what had become mortal combat.

Eight hours earlier found the brunette Sharingan wielder staring down from the cliff as the distinct smell of methane from the red algae, the pure smell of water, and the tinging metallic of blood mixed and wafted upon the air currents as a loft breeze passed through the clearing. His eyes narrowed somewhat remorsefully as he had not planned to truly kill Saizou; getting the fool to surrender and give up, or at least restrain his ways would have been preferred, yet the poor sap had been adamant until the end... 'Such is the price of both arrogance and ignorance,' He thought to himself as he watched the tide slowly rise and obscure the impaled body from view.

The sound of a nervous shuffle caused him to blink and turn from the final resting place of the ill-mannered Komiya. Instead, his attention turned to the skittish and worried looking pink haired young woman, her off-jade eyes shifting about as she attempted to form words in the face of the ever-emotionless Tsukune. After nearly thirty seconds, and getting up to two body-lengths from the brunette boy, she finally spoke, "I-is he...?"

Closing his eyes, Tsukune nodded his head and cast his now coffee colored gaze momentarily over the edge, "Yes, he is..."

Moka just nodded and sniffled a little, though if it was from a sadness, or if she just was sniffing, Tsukune wasn't sure. Feeling his eyes on her, Moka looked back at him and offered him a worried glance, "Are you alright? I know he must've hurt you..."

Taking a breath, Tsukune remained silent for a moment before he answered with a light shake of his head, "No, not enough to be of worry. It will hardly be of note in a few days."

Moka smiled a small smile and proceeded to walk up to Tsukune and look over the edge as well, and immediately had to catch herself as both the vertigo effect caught her and a small urge to vomit wretched at her throat. She was spared from falling only by the now brown eyed boy grabbing her shoulder and holding her steady for a moment.

The pinkette felt her cheeks heat up as a light tinge affected them and she followed the urge to look down and away from Tsukune, though she did manage a slightly stuttered, 'T-thank you.'

Nothing was really spoken between the two as they stood there at the cliff's edge, allowing the uniquely scented breezes to wash over them and brush their clothes and hair around, all the while trying to come to terms with what had happened- in Moka's case, and merely going over the events of everything in his head- In Tsukune's case.

Finally, as the moon's glow got ever brighter, the brunette boy turned to his pink haired companion who had yet to walk off towards her dorm room, and gave a silent sigh. He could tell that she was terrified, and while tired from the day's tribulation, she was both worried of the trek back and for him. With an absent shake of his head, Tsukune decided to do something that he just might regret far more than giving her the tomato juice, "Come, let's get you back to your dorm room."

Moka quickly turned to him and blinked owlishly, her lips pursed together with a little fang barely peaking its tip out from beneath her upper lip. Finally she smiled and nodded, "Thank you...Tsukune-san"

He nodded his head and motioned with his arm as he began to walk in the direction of the dorm rooms at a fairly slow pace. The teen looked up at the moon, hanging high in the sky, and felt a pang of something in his heart, causing him to stuff his hands into his pockets. He thought back to his youth a few years earlier and the time that his life had changed for the better; the day he killed Ishin and subsequently liberated Matsuri from his influence.

His thought troubled him as, in retrospect, it seemed as if everything that happened had been almost... planned. It was a preposterous thing to think of, and even more so to believe, but... it fit. He was born to his parents who lived a happy, stress-free life with his mother and father, both of whom were in business- his mother running an at-home job in which she would do something regarding logistics for Gynryuu Shipping Co. and his father who worked as a high-up executive for the same company.

Then, on that fateful day he had been brought home by Matsuri only to see the police in front of his house. Gods, what he had seen inside of that house had been- He was brought out of his thought by Moka taping him on the shoulder, "Ano, Tsukune-san, why did you help me... both times?"

Sighing with a slight amount of irritation as he didn't enjoy his thought to be interrupted, though he soon cooled himself and took a breath, "It's a simple thing, really; I couldn't sit back and allow something to happen to an innocent woman..."

The girl flushed slightly and smiled, both at the gesture and the fact that he referred to her as a 'woman', and not a 'girl', as most people tended to do. Her off-jade eyes gained a subtle glow of happiness and calmed down from their frantic skittishness and unknown to them both, she moved closer to him.

"Tell me," Tsukune finally said after a while of the two walking in semi-comfortable silence, "Why is it that you feel the need to be friendly to me? I've really done nothing to earn your company, and not to be rude, but I'm not exactly looking for it, either."

For a fraction of a second Moka's features fell into dejection as the words Tsukune had said made their way into her ears, but she quickly perked up a little upon the thought that, perhaps, he may be on the path to becoming friends with her. Her brilliant green eyes were momentarily hidden from view as she blinked and then her smile was back, albeit a little muted.

Finally, Moka answered, "I just... I've never really... had a friend before."

Tsukune nodded, glancing at her from his peripheral, "Neither have I; not true friends, at any rate."

Moka frowned and wrung her hands together for a moment, thinking up what she was going to say as she lightly bit on her bottom lip and knit her brows. "All I've had," Moka began and looked upwards, lightly rummaging through her memories, "is my father, and sisters; though all but Kokoa are usually too busy for me..."

"What have they to do that is more important than taking a little bit of time out for family?" Tsukune queried the young woman walking in tandem with him. He knew for a fact that such a question could also be asked of his family, though in his case, it was the opposite; it was he who didn't care to spend much time with them... He simply didn't have that social drive that most people had; something he partially blamed upon his past.

He heard her let out a breath and try to stifle a small yawn before she answered, "Well, father isn't exactly the warm and caring type; his only interest seems to be running his business, and getting us to fight and get stronger- I can understand though, being what we are."

Tsukune raised an eyebrow, filing the thought to ask her about it at a later date as she went on, "Kahlua works for my father's company indirectly; she's a... delivery woman and only handles the large and important packages. Then, my other half-sister... she left home a long time ago, though I can't remember why."

"Well," The brunette, sharingan carrier said with little inflection, "You have your sister, Kokoa, do you not?"

He watched as she looked down and her smile faded some. As she took some time, the teen thought about what kind of family hers must be, and of the dynamic that hers revolved around. The way it sounded, it was one of those large, rich families that had little to do with each other... It almost sounded as if every child was just a... a tool to further the father's company- granted, he was thinking in the worst case scenario, he told himself.

"No, no... I wish I did," Moka allowed in a soft voice, a small rainy cloud seeming to culminate over her head, "My sister, she... hates me."

'She _hates_ her?,' Tsukune thought incredulously, blinking thrice and going over it again in his mind before letting out a light breath, "What do you mean, 'She hates me', Akashiya-san? What has she to hate you for?"

He watched Moka shrugged and thumbed the silver and ruby-inlaid rosary resting somewhat in her cleavage, clearly contemplating something for a few minutes. At last, she looked to him and smiled lightly, "Can you keep a secret, Tsukune-san?"

The contemplative, wanting, yet hesitant look within her green eyes would have melted the heart of a lesser man into a pile of goo, yet Tsukune was not affected as drastically, though he did feel his lips tugging into a very minute smile, "I can, and I will."

Moka allowed a tiny grin to escape, then it faded into a regular smile and she closed her eyes, her right hand grasping the cross and holding it up as she looked down onto it, with a reverent look upon her face, "This rosary, it is the reason my sister hates me..." She looked over and saw him about to say something, but motioned for him to wait a moment, "My sister, she doesn't like me because... She doesn't think I'm her sister..."

Brown eyes narrowed as his brows knit together, and his monotonous voice questioned, "Yet you are her sister, correct? So why would she think such a thing?"

"We're half-sisters, all of us," The fanged girl said, closing her eyes and licking her lips, "That never really bothered us, though. You see, Kokoa doesn't think I'm her sister because... My true self is locked within this rosary here, in my hands. I don't remember anything from before it was placed on me, but... Kokoa insists that I'm just a pathetic copy of her true, real sister,... and..."

"And...?" Tsukune repeated, wondering both, what kind of monster the young pinkette walking with him was, and also what this extra clause was. His answer was certainly not what he was expecting, though in retrospect; they _are_ monsters, but still... They're siblings, even removed as they were. A wind carrying a distant foreboding feeling blew lightly.

Moka frowned, "She tries to fight me every single time we set eyes on each other, and... She's got it in her head that if she can kill me, her 'true sister' will replace me." The pinkette's frown grew ever so slightly, "Father doesn't try to correct her either, and encourages her, instead."

"Fools, the lot of them," Tsukune muttered beneath his breath, but the augments that transcended her True Self to this outer persona were such that she easily heard him. The brunette teen meanwhile had no such clue that the pinkette heard him and continued his thoughts aloud, "Logic dictates that to kill one would be to kill the other; to think otherwise is to show your ignorance to the world."

The young woman shook her head, "N-no one is sure whether it would work or-"

"-Perhaps there has not been a study on it, but if your body was damaged to such an extent that you were to expire, so would this, 'True self' of yours... Unless, of course, you share two different bodies; one sealed within the rosary whilst the other is out, a thought which is highly doubtful," The Sharingan host explained with an afterthought. He turned his head to see Moka looking down, a little pink tinging her cheeks, presumably at being seemingly admonished.

In a rather comfortable silence the pair continued their walk, each caught in their own thoughts. On Tsukune's mind was his altercation with Saizou, and the way he had gotten the massive monster to fight far worse than he was earlier, with the fighting prowess of himself when he was ten years old. Easily dodging around the sloppy and slow hits, he managed to lead Saizou to the cliff's edge and kick him off, where he finally seemed to snap out of his daze moments before he faded away.

The other two things on his mind were how he could keep his human identity a secret, and how he could possibly survive this damnable place with what was left of his sanity intact. Beyond that, he was faced with the dilemma of Moka; she seemed nice enough and had yet to really request anything other than his company... though he supposed that if he wanted to be strict and all-encompassing, he would need to to add in the fact that she required protection thus far- a fact that mildly annoyed him. Yet, she was, at least, pleasant to talk to... She wasn't vomiting rainbows everywhere, after all.

Walking in tandem with her first (hopeful) friend, Moka continued to sneak a glance or two from her green eyes' peripherals and each and every time, the tinge of pink that brushed her face would grow a little. The fact that they had managed a conversation, deep as it was considering their lack of even a marginal friendship, without him hinting towards something racy or indecent was astounding to her.

Now, ironically, it was her who was stealing glances and noticing just how his skin seemed to be the perfect mix of weathered and rugged mixed with porcelain; his brunette hair seemed to flop about his head randomly in a manner that some would coin as adorable or amusing. She wouldn't say she was developing a crush on him, not yet, but she would admit that he was an attractive man, and she hoped that he would become her friend... she had no hoped for anything beyond that.

As the two broke out of the path through the dead and graying trees, they both caught sight of the dormitories. Moka released an involuntary breath of relief, knowing that only the most determined or angered would attempt something in plain view.

Turning to look at Moka, Tsukune nodded to her, "Would you like me to escort you to the doors, or can you handle it from here?"

The pinkette looked around, letting her off-jade gaze scan the area as her stomach bundles up in nervous jitters, "A-ano, can you-"

"-Let's go," Tsukune answered and began walking towards the Gothic architecture dorm where a large amount of teenaged girls were walking in and out of, and sat around speaking to one another on various subjects that were all of no import to the brunette teen. Yet, apparently, the fact that Tsukune was approaching the woman's dorm in close proximity to the ever-envied Moka Akashiya was of great importance to those that noticed.

As the duo grew closer and closer to the building, the whispered chatter became greater. Unknown to any of the girls, Moka could easily hear them whispering to each other, and Tsukune had grown rather proficient in reading mouths with his Sharingan imprinting the motions in his synapses.

"Oh great, here she comes," A stout, yet regal looking honey-brown haired girl said as her light green eyes twirled in their sockets.

A young, short and clearly undeveloped fifteen year old blonde girl looked to her friend and sighed, "God, what I'd do to have her body... Look at this, I don't even have tits yet!"

"Bitch, stealing the eyes of our men," A dark brown, bordering black with tints of seaweed green headed, tall girl said as she turned her back to the two and stepped inside, grumbling to herself all the way.

Moka flinched against her will as she tried to not let the words bother her; she had been used to them by a great many people. At least, she told herself, it wasn't as bad as those..._humans_ that had thought her irrational and mentally damaged due to her 'belief' about her heritage. Replacing the sudden sadness was a curiosity when she felt two quick pulse of pressure upon her wrist, and realized it was Tsukune who had done so upon looking down. She eyed him with a quizzical glance and he nodded forward, "Don't let them bother you... Jealousy breeds a hatred like no other, yet it often brings all but the most basic in mentality, or the most arrogant to their knees in motivation."

The odd statement, despite not being highly comforting in it's intent sent a warm wave through her that flushed out the blackness that had drizzled in for the scant moment of sadness she felt. Beyond that, she was no longer really bothered by the glances and comments for the moment. She gave a thankful smile.

"I'll see you in the morning," Tsukune said in a low monotone and was quickly out of sight, yet he had merely walked away. It was a strange occurrence that Moka felt she would need to get used to if friendship with him was to be had. A soft smile graced her pink lips and a soft whisper escaped as she went into the dorm, "Thank you... Tsukune-san."

Tsukune groaned and rolled over as his eyes opened and glanced at the electronic clock, its glaringly bright orange numbers flickered and changed from what they were to display the time as '6:36', causing the brunette to groan once more and curse as he held his stomach which was still groaning and gurgling, though not near as violently as it had been.

"Four hours, and three minutes..." Tsukune deadpanned in a croaking voice, slowly forcing himself to sit upright and wait for the swimming effect that his vision was undergoing to level out. He let out a breath and stood up and immediately shed his gray muscle-shirt and black boxers. It took him little time to change into a pair of dark green boxer-briefs and acquire another gray undershirt which was quickly covered by his button-up shirt and green blazer. His green slacks were next to be put on, followed by the black shoes that he had always worn.

The brunette boy allowed himself a small bowl of cereal for breakfast along with a single piece of toast and prayed that such a meager meal would be fine for his stomach, what with the way it was acting lately. Taking a gander at the clock, he nodded and left his dorm and made his way to the first class of his alternating schedule; Japanese with Fubuki Shinji.

At least, after he makes his way to homeroom, first.

A few hours later, Tsukune blinked and his lips pressed together in a thin line as he left Human Communications, taught by one Ulrich Weisberg- One of the few people on campus who he's seen that wasn't of an Asian descent, in the least. The brunette teen stepped to the side and allowed a few of his classmates to pass him by as he absently walked along the corridors on his way to Chemistry with some mystery teacher.

Ulrich Weisberg was hard to understand with his thick German accent, and was apparently very quick to defend himself if questioned about it. The dirty blond man had yelled at him, mistaking Tsukune for the student behind him after the short teen had asked him to talk slower so he could understand him. Thus, his mood had soured more than it was, though he let not slip his fairly blank facade.

"T-Tsukune-san!" He heard a familiar voice call out to him and closed his eyes for a moment, as he tunred around, "Hello, Moka, how are you?"

The pink haired girl gave a bright smile as she slowed from her light jog to a walk up to him, "I'm great! What about you?"

Tsukune ran a hand through his hair and licked his lips, "I'm fine; not as great as I'd prefer."

As the two began to walk towards the end of the hallway together, Moka went on to speak, "I wanted to thank you for last night, Tsukune-san. You didn't have to take me to my dorms, or even walk with me from the woods..." The girl gave a sweet smile and went in for a hug... Only to find herself having to catch her balance before she ran into the wall. She turned and gave him a confused and almost hurt stare.

Tsukune shook his head, "I'm not in the mood for physical contact Moka-san. Don't take it personally, and you're welcome... I figured that such an... eventful night would leave you shaken; I couldn't leave you to your mental shades on a good conscience."

Moka, slightly put out, nodded and began to walk a little behind the boy, "Ano, remember what we talked about?"

She was hard-pressed but managed to see the small incline of the brunette's head, as well as the low, monotone, 'Indeed, why?' he let out. The shapely, attractive girl smiled some, "I was wondering; you said that you didn't have friends either... why?"

For just a second, the brunette boy went rigid, and the next he was completely find as he took in a breath, his eyes closed, "The reason I don't have friends? …There is no such thing; people only wish to further their own ends—even at the risk of your health. Friendship is nothing but a leech under a better name."

As he turned, he barely noticed that he had left Moka standing still in the hall with her eyes wide and lips slightly parted, "Perhaps you will change my opinion, perhaps you'll prove me right... We shall see."

When he entered the classroom, Tsukune found that he was sitting within a large classroom, though there were decidedly few desks and tables, leading him to conclude that the class was rather small. A small upturn of his lips showed those that would come to know him that he was rather pleased as he took to sit in what could best be the most center desk in the room.

Several minutes passed as more students pooled in, a slow trickle at first, but as the bell neared they increased until the class was almost full. Finally, as the last student entered, who else but Shizuka Nekonome would enter the classroom and give off her cat-like smile, "Alright! Well, I'm Nekonome Shizuka, and I'll be filling in today for this class!"

One of the students raised his hand, and was quickly allowed to speak by the kindhearted, if ditzy cat-woman, "Where is the sensei who's supposed to teach this class?"

The dirty-blond woman's two ear-like tufts twitched as she looked a little forlorn, "Unfortunately, Jinjakka-san has passed on; he attempted to brew a particularly acidic compound and the beaker blew up and dissolved his face..." The teacher frowned and mewled sadly, but quickly perked up, "Until we find a permanent professor, anyone with over a moderate experience in chemistry will be rotating a substitute duty."

The fact that the classes had all been oriented towards monsters, and thus the safety measures for classes such as Chemistry and Gym bothered Tsukune some, but not nearly as much as the fact that a good deal of the chemical compounds that were mentioned by Shizuka were completely unheard of to him; it seemed that, in addition to being separate from the 'Human realm', the 'Monster Realm' had a completely different set of chemical components, and a few elements that were not on the human periodic table.

Such was the thought on Tsukune's mind as he weaved between the masses of students walking up and down through the halls as he made his way through their breadth towards his dorm room. He cared little for the short hour break between classes for lunch, despite his stomach's own protests to that line of thought.

His reasons for heading to his dormitory was a fairly simply one, if slightly annoying; He had forgotten the health notebook which had been given out at the beginning of the class the day prior. If it was not a mandatory facet of the class, he wouldn't have even bothered walking his way all the way up to the building.

A soft wind blew and carried with it a small handful of pollen, which he found out when the burning tickle in his nose sudden erupted and caused a series of sneezes so hard that his purple and blue dots briefly appeared in his vision. After the fourth sneeze, he involuntarily coughed and harked out the remnants onto the grass.

He ignored the several disgusted glances shot by his passing peers and carried on his way towards the dorms. Unbeknownst to him, a certain voluptuous aqua haired young woman was lazing (spying) in the limbs of one of the many tall, dead trees that dotted the landscape, and more than lined the trails leading around the school.

Tsukune quickly rushed into his room and began to ruffle through his belongings. His coffee colored eyes shifted along the room, looking for the book, then twitched to look down at the small bag he was shuffling through every other second. 'It was here last night; I set it on the table... I know I did,' He thought to himself and began to gnaw lightly on his bottom lip.

With haste, he tossed the bag to the side and moved onto the bookshelf and began to thumb through the tiers of reading materiel. Tsukune flared his nostrils and felt his temperature spike momentarily in anger as he found that the book was absent from the case, as well. It took a bit of self-control to not allow a low growl to escape him as he quickly pivoted and jogged over to his bed, hoping it would be there.

He finally hissed aloud in his frustrations, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow as he found the book to be completely absent from his bed, and indeed, his room. Chocolate eyes flashed deadly crimson for a moment before fading as the brunette boy brought his anger back under control through a series of deep breaths. Obscuring his sight behind his lids, he began to cast his thoughts and attention over scouring his memories.

The last time something like this had happened, Izuma had been trying to pull a prank and had hid his wallet from him, as well as its contents of over eight-thousand Yin, which was a combination of found money, allowance, and payment for an odd-job or two he'd taken as part of his training under Asura.

His Step-father had thought the prank funny until Tsukune found it a week later and the black haired man came clean about his deed. It would be the last time the man messed with his money as a prank, especially when he found his bed filled with several scorpions upon retiring the night after due to not 'feeling well'. No, he most certainly wouldn't mess with the money anymore... but a prankster was in Izuma's blood, so it wouldn't be the last practical joke.

So caught up in his concentration was he that he didn't even realize that the balcony window to his dorm room slowly opened and a light gust of wind entered his solitude, carrying a few stray streamers in the form of loose leaves and grasses and an undertone of sweet perfume that wafted about.

Korono Kurumu smiled exuberantly as she daintily stepped into the predestine and clean dorm room. Her soft and bouncy custom-made perfume flowing into the room and doubtlessly filling the lungs of the occupant of the room. She smiled and tried to hold back a soft squeal, though to compensate, she bounced on the tip of her toes a couple of times.

The blue haired girl took a few steps into the room and her smile turned into a light, but supple grin as she noted the lone form standing vigil, his back to her as his brown hair tussled in the breeze that her entrance caused. Her grin slithered into a little smirk as she approached him, whispering to herself "You, Aono Tsukune, are the only person to have _ever_ resisted my charm..."

She approached with as much poise as she possessed, tried not to make a single sound even though such a thing was extremely difficult. Her violet eyes glimmered with an inner light that bespoke of an intent nowhere near benign, and the peaceful gust that billowed in softly gained an ominous atmosphere about it.

"Then," Kurumu continued her monologue as her tiny and stealthy steps brought her closer to her unwary target, "You make a fool of me; you show me those weird eyes of yours and you make me feel fear... For the first time in my life; fear! You will regret humiliating me and weakening the charm I had on them... You'll regret making me second guess my powers and my right as a succubus..."

Her flawless pearl-white teeth glinted as the sinister slimmer in her violet orbs grew stronger with her proximity to her target. This was it! She was going to make him pay for ruining her plan to entrance all of the men and boys at the academy, for destroying her chance at a harem that she'd painstakingly planned out and ruined three days of her vacation to arrive at school early for. Tsukune Aono would pay for making her a fool before her subjects, and most certainly, he would pay for _blowing her off!_

The aqua headed succubus stifled a laugh, 'My perfume will distract him and mess with his ability to properly defend his mind from my illusions...' The young woman was now but a half-foot from her body touching him... Perfect. She gripped his shoulder and quickly pulled him around to face her. Tsukune let out a surprised grunt as he lost balance and fell, only to be caught and held up by something that felt like a rather squishy pillow.

He blinked and turned his head, a light blush staining his cheeks from the secret perfume, and saw that he was looking right into the beautiful dark-blue eyes of the bluenette he head been approached by the day before. He had barely a second to place the face and memories before Kurumu's eyes narrowed and in a sweet voice, with an undertone of confident glee, said, "Oh, would you look who happened to save you? Now, be a dear, and fall for my '_Charm'_!"

Tsukune suddenly felt his will ripped from his mind, and an imposing force began to invade his mental chamber. He felt the control of his body leave him slowly, as if his bodily will were a tub of water and someone pulled the plug..

With what strength he had left, he attempted to push himself from Kurumu, though all he managed was a weak grip on her wrists, where her hands were helping to keep him from buckling under his own weight by supporting his sides. He found that he was unable to channel his energy any longer and thus couldn't activate his Sharingan to dissolve the... whatever the hell had taken hold.

Moments before he became a prisoner in his own mind, he managed a single croaked word, "Why?"

Tsukune could only watch as the cruel glint in her narrowed eyes was completely washed away by a gleeful light and a high-pitched squeal left the pink lips of the succubus as she hugged the limp shell that was Tsukune to her body, the side of his head becoming smothered between her impossibly soft breasts, "Eeeheehee! I've got Tsukune-kun! I've got Tsu~Ku~Ne~!"

After bouncing around and then pirouette, all the while gripping Tsukune's body to her, she smiled, "Oh, Tsukune-kun, do you love me?" The formless spirit that was Tsukune's mind 'watched' in abject horror as his head slowly looked up and stared into Kurumu's own with a semi-dopey smile and begin to nod, "Yes, I love you, Kurumu-chan."

'What the hell is going on!' He exclaimed his inquiry and heard his telepathic message echo through the vague infinity that this mental realm was. He tried to tense his muscles, but only managed to let out a hissing sound upon seeing Kurumu once more press his head into her bosom and gyrate her torso and thereby her breasts around his brown haired mop.

"What do you want to do Tsukune-kun?" He heard Kurumu ask him, and tried to stop himself from answering, but instead could do nothing but allow the reply from his body to slip out, "I want to love you, Kurumu-chan... I want to make sure you're happy."

A proud and satisfied smile accompanied her excited giggle. She blinked as she turned, shoving the arm of her latest _charmed_ conquest in between her breasts as she led the husk of the teen out the room via her own entrance. All the while, the imprisoned young man's mind began to run through plans to free himself from this woman's supernatural whiles.

Across the school, Moka Akashiya had just set down her satchel bag as she once more placed herself at one of the few solitary round tables at lunch. She absently looked over the can of tomato juice that she'd just bought, wiping off a small drop of perspiration with a napkin. The can opened with a light hiss and Moka took a sip, letting the slightly viscous, tangy liquid wash over her tongue and down her throat.

She ignored the loud and raucous conversations that polluted the air in the cafeteria, and instead hummed lightly to herself a small tune that her mother had sang to her when she was a child. Her mind began to go over her day thus far, starting with her waking up from a dream that involved Saizou Komiya attempting to force himself on her, only for her classmate and friend hopeful, Tsukune Aono, saved her by slaying the blonde man.

Then came the realization that the nightmare was no such thing, and was instead reality; that Saizou _had_ tried to do those things, and that the smaller, emotionally detached boy had _killed_ Saizou to save _her_. He had ended the life of the boy with but the barest shred of remorse, just so that she wouldn't have to experience the horror of what the blond punk had planned for her.

A smile with more meaning and more brightness than her small, peaceful one formed on her lips and her green eyes almost sparkled with tears from both the stress and relief.

Moka then remembered that, despite the coldness he displayed, and despite the stress and damage he had done to himself fight Saizou, he had still walked her to the dorms and along the way, made actual attempt at conversation with her. Moka realized that she had almost let slip what type of monster she was, and had easily given enough clues for him to figure it out... Luckily, there was quite a bit of controversy in the Monster Realm about vampires... Not near as much as in the Human, but enough that it would be an annoying endeavor to confirm.

The humans liked to believe all of these falsehoods about vampires, and a lot of their mythologies were from other monsters that were, at best, inferior cousins to vampires; case in point, the Chupocabera of Middle and South American legend fed on the blood of live-stock by way of a dart-like tongue that burrowed in and drained them dry. Along with that, the Chupocabera burned to ash with all but the most fleeting exposure to sunlight.

Likewise, some of the teir 4 monster sects still believed that vampires were weakened by garlic- granted, it was a special genetically diverse crop when compared to the common garlic. It, in truth, had no effect on vampires and was only effective to ward off another similar creature of the night.

The pink haired girl took another sip of her tomato juice and licked her lips after. She felt that, somehow, she didn't need to worry about Tsukune finding out what kind of monster she was... That he either didn't care enough to search, or that he, through some mechanism of fate, wouldn't search because nothing she said even remotely rang the warning bells in his head... somehow.

The young woman smiled and touched the cool silver metal that made up her rosary, feeling the barely perceivable power that brimmed in a biting frost around the jewel in the center. She could feel it in her bones that whatever lay locked within her rosary would be powerful, indeed... but she was nervous as to what would happen; her sister recounted tales of when she removed hers and lost all but a mildly hazy touch with the world while she went on a rampage.

Is that what her own release would be like? Would she loose all control and kill everything around her? A shiver wracked her body and for a second her teeth chattered.

'I hope not... I don't want to hurt anyone... Especially not,' She trailed off of her worrisome thoughts as a mental image of the blank staring chocolate eyed boy entered her mind.

No, she couldn't live with herself if she hurt anyone without just cause, and even more-so if she managed to injure Tsukune, or worse. The very thought of hurting her potential friend almost brought her to feeling physically ill. However, she felt the unbridled desire to find a way to remove the rosary and finally, for once in her life, have power and not have to sit back whilst everyone picked on her... That power would be infinitely useful to her.

She smiled at the thought of the power that would come and a thought struck her, 'F-father would finally look at me as if... as if I were actually worth the time; I'd finally be strong enough to make him pay attention, and maybe... Maybe I could change the way he treats all of us... Oh, I hope I can.'

Moka sighed hopefully as her fork twirled about the noodles in the bowl of soup she had gotten along with her juice, and took a bite. She grimaced as she found the soup to be overly salty, but bore through it; simply drinking tomato juice wouldn't cure the blackouts that she had to make-up for.

A light pursing of the lips showed Moka's disapproval of a salty piece of chicken that was more saline and less meat, or so it seemed. She coughed and spat the offending thing out into a napkin, balling it up after wiping her lips and hands. That had ruined her appetite and now she needed some mouth wash to get the sheer taste ans texture of salt from her mouth.

Unfortunately, nothing of that kind was available, so she settled for quickly chugging the last fifth of the can of juice and swishing it before swallowing it with a minor grimace.

Right at that moment, a huge troupe of men and a following of contentious women entered the cafeteria. The noise level instantly plummeted and sky-rocketed simultaneously on account of the populous in the large room shutting up and then erupting along with the new arrivals, in much the same way, no less.

The huge following of men was in the form of a bubble, with a great majority of them looking rather.. vague in the face; rather dopey and clueless, as if they weren't... all there. The other fourth looked to be angry and jealous of the rest, and the cause was soon to be revealed to those not in the know... which seemed to be just Moka, by how angry everyone was.

The mass of men parted and standing in the center, with a berth of half-afoot in radius from the edge of the encirclement of men stood the blue-haired busty bombshell known as Korono Kurumu, a haughty glare in her violet blue eyes that was aimed right for the pink haired girl. One hand was held on her hip, the other was behind her back as she inclined her head, "Akashiya Moka!"

Confused, Moka blinked and pointed at herself, "Me? W-what do you need?"

Kurumu allowed a scoff to escape her lips, "You already forgot what I said when I approached you yesterday? Tch, I shouldn't be surprised; your pink hair probably makes you dumber than a blond!"

Immediately Moka was practically hit with the sheer recoil as memories invaded her mind and flashed by, reminding her of the other incident the day before. So caught up and traumatized by the Saizou incident was she, that she had completely forgotten that the blue haired girl had confronted her and was adamant about fighting her.

Moka then remembered that, in an ironic twist to be repeated that afternoon/night, Tsukune had wandered into the fray and caught Kurumu's attention. The succubus had voiced a plan to take 'her boyfriend' away from her, as well as beat her into submission just moments before the brunette teen had walked into the hallway. Kurumu had latched herself onto the cold teen and attempted to use her feminine traits to woo him, and then had attempted to _charm_ him.

The fear, she remembered, when Tsukune rounded on the aqua haired sex-monster and obscured both their faces from view was intense. Yet, she remembered the proverbial grip on her throat and heart release when Kurumu began to physically shiver and Tsukune moved away, shooting a look over to her, and then walked out.

She was reminded that, after he had left, Kurumu had turned to her and tried to shield the fear that was literally etched into her violet orbs. The succubus pointed at her and whispered harshly, "T-this... This is _not_ over, Akashiya Moka!"

Then she walked off, the entourage of _charmed_ men following dubiously behind her, as if her spell had been diminished in strength after the encounter. It made Moka wonder what Tsukune had said and done to shake the confident and ambitious girl so badly.

"W-what do you want, Kurumu?" Moka asked, standing up from her chair and facing the girl with a slightly curious, slightly annoyed look on her face.

"So you do remember," Kurumu began with a smirk, her head giving a slight nod, "Now, I'm going to tell you once more; I'm going to knock you into next year, that way you won't show your face anytime soon!"

Moka pursed her lips, and took a step forward, "Why don't you just charm them all, and leave me out of this?" Moka then blinked as a light bulb went off and she cocked her head to the side, eyes narrowing in scrutiny, "Besides, won't you fail at that goal?"

Kurumu took an intimidating step forward and stamped her foot on the ground as her free hand balled into a fist, and her teeth gritting together, "How could I possibly fail!" She then composed herself and placed her hand against her breast, "My plan, as I said yesterday, will prevail... No matter the odds, I will succeed."

Moka pointed to Kurumu and reminded the young succubus candidly, "Tsukune didn't exactly fall under your spell; you'll be missing a guy... Unless, your not counting him anymore."

A gleam seemed to become alight within those violet eyes, a glow that bespoke of taunts and a knowledge that would hurt and humiliate the pink haired girl standing before her. With a hearty and haughty laugh, the succubus allowed a saucy smirk to cross her lips.

"Well then, tell me why," Kurumu said as she began to bring her other arm into view, as well as what it was holding on to, "do I have Tsukune here, by my side? Answer me that, Moka Akashiya!"

Confused, panicked, and not the least of all fearful, Moka opened and closed her mouth numerous times in an attempt to gather her wits and ask just how, where, and when he had been charmed by the seductress... Yet she was unable to do so. Finally, in a tiny, meek voice, Moka asked the only thing she could, "I-is he really...?"

"Fufufu," Kurumu chuckled softly to herself in victory, and brought the young boy's empty eyes to bare before her, "Well, let's ask him, shall we?"

Kurumu leaned in and arched her back some, her breasts mashing against his chest and flattened out some under the pressure as she purred out into Tsukune's ear, yet loud enough for Moka to hear, "Tsuku-kun, do you love me, with all that you are? Would you do anything for me?"

Tsukune's head bowed some and he responded, his voice filled with more emotion than Moka, in the little time she had known him, had thought possible, "Yes, Kururmu-chan... I'd steal all the jewels in the world for you, I'd get my friends to bow before you, I'd do anything and everything you wanted. I love you."

Moka's eyes teared up, her off-jade eyes darkening to deep sea-green in sorrow as she bit on her lip to keep sound from escaping it. As her body was wracked with silent sobs, she did the only thing she knew she could; she ran. She ran as fast as her muscular calves would take her, ignoring the strain as she unconsciously drew out her energy, her youki, from the depths of the rosary and sped herself up.

She ran past all the students who turned and exclaimed about her beauty, or how they wanted to be her boyfriend, how they were disgusted about how she was able to turn every boy's head. She ignored it all and sped past them, let the comments yelling at her to watch where she was going sweep past her, as well. She let the tears roll freely and her breath hitched as she ran through the woods, ignoring the proper path and instead used her instincts to dodge and jump over the roots and limbs that were in her way.

The pink haired girl even ignored the light mist that permeated the sky; the closest to a full-on rain that would likely ever happen on the academy grounds. She rushed as fast as she could to get as far away from the damnable seductress, and the doubtless fate of Tsukune whom had somehow come under her spell.

Her panting breaths grew ragged as she tired; the youki receding from her body and sapping the rest of her energy with it. Her legs instantly began to cramp and an indescribable sharp pain began to prod under her right rib. Moka gasped and grabbed at the pain in a fruitless attempt to soothe it. As she slowed her running to a light job that was barely maintainable, the pink haired girl blinked as she realized just where she was... through her blind running and through her tears, she had managed to somehow find her way over to the men's dormitories.

She whimpered and fell to one knee, gripping her stomach as her lips trembled, "T-tsukune..."

Meanwhile, Kurumu had long abandoned the cafeteria with her recently _charmed_ conquest and had quickly vacated the Academy building . The pair had taken to walking down the dirt path, or rather, Kurumu had taken to guiding the brunette husk by the arm, which was currently bisected visually between her massive breasts.

The bluenette's mouth was running at an impossible speed, asking Tsukune to -in different ways- tell her that he loved her and that she was the 'center of his world', as well as to have him shower her with praise. Yet, mainly, she simply retold him over and over of her conquest over her rival, Moka, and how happy she was that she had bested the pink haired girl.

Tsukune however, was listening to nothing she had to say; he refused to sit idle and merely be trapped in his head. Instead, the mental apparition of himself floated about the infinite realm he found himself in. Deep within the obscure and completely sable chamber, Tsukune found himself to be able to, if he concentrated, see very bland and hardly-there faded crimson markings that ran throughout the realm.

After retreating away from his 'Ocular Conveyance', a segment of this realm that allowed him to see through his own eyes, the brunette's apparition soon found himself completely cloaked in darkness, floating about it as if it were a vast nothingness. Yet, upon finding the faint red grooves and markings he considered the fact that, perhaps it wasn't an infinite emptiness, but instead a chamber of some sort.

With nothing better to do but listen to the infernal woman go on about perpetual subjects that he could honestly care less about, he decided that exploring was a better option.

He floated through the veiled chamber, looking for any identifying markers, or perhaps some kind of a doorway. He quickly counted four walls, then went on to count several more, yet as he was mentally mapping the 'walls', he soon found himself to be right back in front of the Ocular Conveyance, and realized that whatever he was within a dodecahedra, as the floor was also curved in equal panels of dodecagons, as well.

Throughout it all, in order, a panel would have a spiral where the crimson markings would originate and flow out in two direction; down and to the left. In the second panel, it would bisect itself into two and one would turn diagonally upwards (from it's relative position) and enter the next from the side where it would stop in a large blot. The other line would continue on and intersect with another line's second panel, and then end in an ankh-like figure.

There was a single panel that was void of the any of these aside a single line traveling vertically through it. This particular panel was the central-most overhead of the perceived 'middle' of the room. He glared at it, knowing that he couldn't do anything about it in his current form, as he had tried to press on and possibly void himself through the crystalline ebony walls, yet he had found himself incapable of it.

Without a clue as to how to free himself from his prison within a prison, he attempted to close everything out and bring himself into control of his body one more time; all he needed was to activate his sharingan and dispel whatever the hell had forced him here. His vision fogged over before completely shutting off as he willed himself to no longer see what was around him and took solace in the true blackness as he tried to establish contact with himself.

Immediately, he felt his 'body' expand into a more vaporous form and begin to connect into the the small grooves between the panels. His vapor-like form soon came in contact with a viscous-like flesh that lie outside the walls, and immediately he felt a dark and corrupt frost deny his immediate attempt. It felt as though a slush had built up in his body that was tainted and darkened to a deep purple. Yet, an undertone of the cool blockage was a soft wisp that encircled his 'form' and began to make him want to stay in his prison. It began to, not quite whisper in the audible sense, as it penetrated his gaseous essence. It told him that he wanted to stay, that he had nothing more that he could do; that it was for the best.

He was so close to falling, so close to agreeing with the odd intuition that invaded him. He felt so... warm, so comfortable; as if he had been an eternity without sleep, and finally found a bed to lie his weary head. He was so close to assenting to the peace that he felt.

A jolt of what felt like electricity filtered itself into him and he was instantly broken of his contact with the mysterious entity. Tsukune quickly got his wits about him and found that he was till within the chamber, but he had established a foothold with his own conscience; the darkness in the room was gone somewhat, and a small, dim glow adorned each of the crimson lines. Then, a wet cracking was heard from overhead, and he turned to see that the unique panel had vanished.

It didn't take much thought to choose to ascend upwards and hopefully find an easier way out.

To his vast disappointment, the sharingan wielder's apparition found that above the room was just a slightly bright, ebony and crimson-lined trapezoidal hallway that seemed to go on an impossible length. There were no doorways that he could see, nor any passageways that were hidden in the floor or the ceiling.

The patterns on the walls never changed and seemed to follow the exact same formula as the other chamber, except that three times now, about every one-hundred and twentieth of the six-foot segments that mad this hallway, there seemed to be a large, intricate design that got ever more complex. The first was a tribal-like wreath that seemed to be aflame and marked six times with what looked to be angular oak leaves. The second seemed to be a series of spikes that erupted from no-where in the ebony metal amidst a sea of glowing crimson. The final one seemed to be an event-horizontal vision of the moon, what with the craters and all surrounded by black on either side.

As he continued down the ever darkening hallway, an eery feeling began to sink down into what would have been his stomach. An ominous presence was becoming more and more tangible; it's terrible force bearing down on him physically and causing the gaseous body to actually harden and condense together.

He could see the end of the passageway before him; it wasn't close to him by any way and in fact looked to be a good eighth of a mile, or somewhere around four-hundred feet some-odd feet before him. The doorway out of this infernal closed-in pathway looked to be a pearl-white doorway that lacked an luster what-so-ever. There was little to do but to go towards it; he'd come to far.

The walk to the white doorway, however, wasn't an easy one. First it was the pressure that began to compact him tighter, and tighter together; then, as he had continued to travel towards it, the pressure plateaued and instead it began to get warm, extremely warm. The closer he got, the warmer the air around him became until some of his 'form' began to evaporate away.

At long last he made it to the door, lethargic and slow as he had become. It was then that he realized that what stood before him was not a door, but rather some sort of barrier that stood ahead of a widened corridor where a series of three pikes made of the ebony and crimson encrusted markings stood.

Not knowing what to do, Tsukune did the only thing he knew how to do in this form and tried to phase through it. Yet as soon as he touched it a jolt of light red, almost pink lightning struck him and knocked him to the ground...

'Wait, the ground?' Tsukune thought in surprise and opened his eyes to see that he was a solid human once more and no longer an ambiguous cloud of gas and vapor. He turned and went to touch the barrier once more only for the electrical bolt to lash out and strike him again, except this time, rather than knocking him back, a gust of wind tinted vermillion with light red-pink edges dissipated the lightning and the two vapors lost color and disappeared from sight.

Blinking in confusion, Tsukune made to touch it again, and this time the lightning did not come. Instead, five tentacles of the vermillion energy shot from his hand; one from each finger, and began to absorb the barrier. Almost immediately, Tsukune felt oddly stronger -not by much, though- and watched curiously as the barrier dispersed into nothingness.

When the barrier fell, a new force of greater magnitude hit him and Tsukune suddenly found himself barely evading several spiny and clearly sharp blades that shot down from the ceiling and trapped him within their core. He could only wait, his face the epitome of cool and collected, yet inside he was beginning to run plans of potential escape in an attempt to keep himself from becoming very panicked and very useless.

After nearly thirty seconds -he counted- the pressure seemed to get stronger, yet less malicious at the same time; an odd thing to feel, he decided. At last, a massive black cloud came into view behind the large, wicked and sharp pike-like pillars that blocked the entrance into the larger corridor.

It was then that a familiar feeling became known to the teen. The familiar sensation of what little control he had over his internal energy being restored was felt at the same moment that the little tickling in the back of his head was felt, and with a mental sigh of relief, Tsukune stopped his 'doomsday' scenarios.

The ground beneath his feet rumbled and shifted with unknown power, whilst in his head, he heard, 'This is a most unusual, and admittedly unexpected meeting, boy. What is your purpose for being here?'

As the connection between the voice and the entity which doubtlessly caused the quake in the mental realm was made, Tsukune was amazed upon the realization of just _how_ powerful it was. Taking a breath, Tsukune answered in a slightly confused voice, "I'm not too sure, myself; I can only assume that a girl, Korono Kurumu, managed to trap me in here with a spell... or something to that effect."

A light chill ran through the corridor, and an emotional link from the voice confirmed his suspicions that the chill was, indeed, a feeling of shock, 'A girl did this to you... Tell me, did you have the Sharingan active?'

The brunette nodded his head in affirmation, "The first time she attempted it, yes; I was able to see several off-colored ripples emit out of her eyes through several microscopic secondary ocular organs that exist on the edge of her iris... Wait, how do I know of those?"

A light thump, though not nearly as loud as any time before, came through his head, 'As I told you before, pinwheels of despair can perceive the _most intricate details_ of anything it sees. Of course, it will only reveal such things if you have a clear view, currently. Now, the girl... She is a succubus, a monster who developed in such a way to devour the energies of men through sexual activity.'

Tsukune blinked, a very faint flush on his cheeks, "I've read of them; you know this. Yet I was under the impression that they were a phantasmal beast and came through dreams to sate their desires."

He received a mental nod from the mass of blackness floating several feet away, 'Indeed... That is what the _humans_ have published a succubus and, indeed, Incubus as. This is untrue; The two are very much of the mortal plane and gather a following -a harem, If you will- to sate their desires both of carnal and hunger. Except in a single exception, but it is not needed to be known currently.'

"So, how will I escape this situation in which I've gotten myself in?" Tsukune questioned, arching an eyebrow as he stared languidly at the source of the voice. He had not expected to encounter a succubus, especially not one inhabiting the mortal plane, yet he supposed that such a thing shouldn't have been such a shock. He knew not to believe everything written in books, but thus far, it was his only reference.

'She must be young, and their _charm_ has a unique effect in that, if broken, only one of greater power can bring you under her control,' the guardian of the sharingan stated, and then a loud set of thumps echoed in Tsukune's head, 'With the sharingan active, no illusion will ever hold over you- aside one cast from another who is in possession of the eye, as well.'

Tsukune nodded, filing that unique fact away with the rest of the facts of the eyes, and attempted to channel his energy into his eyes to activate them, yet found that he couldn't, and realized why, quickly. As soon as he gave up, a very weak, but still ever seductive and peaceful feeling enveloped his mind, trying to get him to return to the first chamber, before he shook his head and it dissipated.

'I see,' It said, a soft and contemplative tone now in place of it's usual toneless sound, 'So the compulsion is still blocking you from activating your eyes, hmm? Very well... I grant you this boon.'

Curiously, he watched as a strand of inky, jet black energy shot out of the massive, floating, pitch-black being. As it soared through the air, Tsukune felt his own energy build up in his side -as if by a tidal gravitational pull- and then the light vermillion tint became visible again as it formed a strand which shot out, intertwining around the black one. With bated breath and confusion running rampant, he could only watch as a dark purple crystal seeped from his skin and was transferred to the black tentacle where it seemed to hiss and dissolve.

It took a moment, but the brunette teen then noticed, suddenly, that everything was going extremely slow and with a light grin he realized that his sharingan was active. As his vision began to take on an odd tunnel-vision effect, he heard the tired voice of the guardian speak to him, 'Try to not fall for another trap; I will not be able to help you next time... I must rest.'

In a blinding white flash, Tsukune was once more looking out of his own perspective, yet he realized with shock that he was standing with his back to a tree, holding Moka in a full nelson as she struggled to get free. Across the way, Kurumu, looking a little ragged and with quite the burning pink hand print on her cheek, was panting and looked as if she had just gotten up from being launched across the ground.

"T-Tsukune! Please, let me g-go!" His attention was drawn back down to Moka as she attempted to struggle out of his grip. He grunted, his body still wasn't completely under his control, but he could feel his influence spreading as his arms began to shake some. Across the way, Kurumu laughed at her pointless screams.

"I've told you, he won't listen to _you_, and no matter how much you beg and plead..." She tapered off and her face contorted into anger, her eyes narrowing, "I am going to kill you, _vampire!_"

Tsukune's muscles twitched just a bit, conveying his surprise at what the sweet, innocent Moka really was. Suddenly, the thought of perhaps letting her be destroyed entered his mind and stayed for only as long as it took to terminate it. Moka was a nice girl, and she was perhaps... his first friend, first _real_ friend in a very long time. He wouldn't allow Kurumu to hurt her.

"I told you, I haven't done anything to hurt you! I don't want to fight you; just let Tsukune decide on his own and free him... that's all I want!" Moka bargained, though this only infuriated the young succubus more, and then right before his eyes, it happened.

The seething succubus glared at Moka, hate deep within her eyes as she stared into the off-jade of the pink haired vampire's. Her muscles clenched and amidst a low hiss of rage, her beautiful shade of violet eyes shifted and began to elongate vertically, forming something akin to a cat's eye- not quite a slit, but certainly not circular.

"You don't _get it_, do you!" Kurumu spat out through a series of sporadic breaths and unclenched her fists, showing that her nails were lengthening and developing to become thicker, and more claw or perhaps talon-like. The pink nails had a sheen on them, belaying that they were likely sharper than razor, now, too.

A long spindly purple tail began to slither it's way out from under her skirt, it's purple spade-like end flicking to and fro in agitation. Despite of it's appearance, the fact that it wasn't bony proved that the appendage was at least of some combat use. The aqua haired girl began to yell openly at Moka, venom staining every word, "I'm a succubus! I told you that I need to make every man fall for my charm; I have to sustain myself until I can find my Destined One!"

The two blinked; Tsukune in confusion and Moka in remembrance, "A-ano, but how will you know?"

Kurumu growled low, a sound that would have been adorable if they were not in such a dangerous situation. A ripping sound caught the duo's attention and then Kurumu was completely out of view. The two were only clued in when Kurumu yelled out from high above them, large leathery bat wings with a purple membrane holding her in air, "It doesn't matter; you won't be worrying about it anytime soon!"

The busty seductress gave one strong beat of her powerful wings and she was diving down towards the pair with great speed. Moka struggled to get out of Tsukune's arms, and finally in spite of the light jarring that was loosening his grip, she couldn't get loose. Her eyes looked up, into the skies and estimated Kurumu to be less than seven seconds away from impact,. She closed her eyes, a single tear rolling down her soft cheeks, "Tsukune... I-I'm sorry, I'm not strong enough."

With only a second or two left, the roar of wind as the murderous winged woman approached increased. Tsukune closed his eyes and tightened his grip on Moka as he bit his lip, and began to channel as much energy through his body as he could. With a mental click, his body unjammed and without a thought he jumped to the side by seven feet, rolling with Moka in his arms to brace her from the impact.

"W-what!" He heard Kurumu yell in surprise and frustration, turning in mid air as several of the trees that had been caught by her nails began to fall to the ground, sliced clean in half.

"T-Tsukune! H-how did you... W-wha!" The bewildered vampire muttered out in surprise, clearly expecting to have been dead. Her terrified and confused green eyes shifted rapidly around the area, looking at the devastated greenery, her soft hands gripping tighter to Tsukune's left arm in an attempt to comfort herself.

"You're alive and well, Moka-san... I'll spare you the details, but I escaped her... intricate illusion," Tsukune explained, his head head turned to glare at the succubus and thereby hiding his crimson eyes from the pink haired girl. He stood up and helped the girl in his arms up as well, and immediately tensed as Kurumu flew rapidly behind the two of them.

"Brace yourself!"It was the only warning Moka got before Tsukune's palm rammed into the center of her chest and sent her flying backwards. Luckily, she listened and didn't really get hurt as she landed a few feet behind him, only to see Kurumu dive right at him and swipe him with her claws, screaming at him, "H-how could you!"

Tsukune's body stood in place, still facing the direction she had just come from before his body began fall into several different pieces. Moka was just about to panic when she noticed two things at once; the first, Tsukune's body faded from view and the second? Laying a few feet away from her was her rosary, no longer connected to the chain hanging from the beaded choker around her neck. She was suddenly all too aware of an intense heat burning under her skin and her vision darkening.

Kurumu floated above the forest, her wings beating lazily to keep her relatively light frame airborne as she cast her oblong violet eyes around the immediate area. She could have sworn she killed... him, but there was no blood on her nails, nor any scent of him on them to suggest she had even cut him.

She felt a burning in her heart and bit back a whimper. She didn't want to hurt him, but... He and the vampire were an obstruction to her plan; they just didn't _understand_ and would likely keep sticking their noses in business that wasn't theirs. She couldn't take that risk, she couldn't _afford_ to take it, no matter how much she wanted to.

Her head swiveled to the left, then to the right, yet no matter where she looked, she couldn't find Tsukune or that _bothersome_ vampire. She narrowed her blunt, cat-like eyes and quickly turned around when a large gust of wind his her, only seconds before a rapidly increasing presence of youki was felt to her immediate left. 'Which one of you two is that?' Kurumu thought, tilting her head a little as her tail gave a sharp flick.

'It won't matter; I'll still get them both,' She reassured herself and shot down towards the source of power. The aqua haired monster was just about to enter the tightly packed, yet bare canopy when the atmosphere around her thickened and literally forced her to slow down. She grit her teeth and beat her wings harder, only to find that the radiating energy was physically pushing against her and seemed to be darkening the sky, very quickly.

In a matter of second, everything had been cast under a crimson light, and in place of the sun was an equally bright moon bathed in a light red that left it looking blood-stained. Before her eyes a massive swarm of bats began to descent from the horizon, beneath the glimmering celestial body, and deep into the woods all the while emitting a deafening noise.

Perplexed, and more than a little nervous from the foreboding sensation that chilled her skin and made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end, Kurumu cautiously began to beat her wings hard enough to move against the reverse force of the youki flowing out of the area. She pierced through the canopy and quickly made to mid-height in the forest when she saw it; a thin, human-shaped cocoon made entirely of bats that had covered the clearly feminine figure.

Without warning, a bright flash of pink light flickered out between the 'cracks' in the cocoon and just as quickly, the bats were launched off and disintegrated by the sheer power of the second pulse of light. As the light died down, an aristocratic structured and rather porcelain-white skinned, silver haired woman stood in place of the bats.

'Who the hell is this woman?' Kurumu thought as she flew closer, feeling that the youki that this woman was producing was, while vastly stronger and more potent, almost identical to Moka Akashiya's own. As she drew closer to this mysterious new woman, two brilliantly crimson eyes with perfectly slitted pupils in the center snapped open and stared into her own.

Her lips pulled into a dry smirk, "Little succubus, you've mistaken myself for prey and you the predator when the situation is quite the opposite."

'No,' Kurumu thought, stopping in mid-air so as to gauge this new woman, 'She may have the same feel in her youki, but this is _not_ Moka.' The thought was justified; she looked like Moka, but far more regal and more like a true vampire would likely look, Kurumu figured. Her voice was more refined and a little deeper, darker and more seductive, and her fangs were larger and peaked out slightly from under her top lip no matter her expression. Beyond that, her hips had gotten a little wider and her breasts were a good cup or two larger... still not quite at her level, she thought in relief.

"Released vampire, or not, you're not getting in my way!" Her confidence returned, Kurumu rushed towards Moka with her claws bared at full speed. She was far too slow and Inner Moka jumped away with superior speed, appearing behind the succubus and landed an extremely powerful kick in the center petite girl's back.

As she began an out of control spin which would inevitably end with her crashing into the ground, the panicked girl struggled to regain stability and absently heard the released vampire taunt her, "You foolish, frail, and pretentious woman! You dare to bare your fangs at _m e_, much less a vampire?"

by the time Kurumu had crashed into the forest floor, Moka was right behind her, hand on her hip as she took slow, confident strides towards the downed woman. As the aqua haired succubus attempted to push herself up, Inner Moka reached down and took great pleasure in gripping the girl's purple spade-tipped tail and slowly began to apply upward pressure, her smirk spreading with a furious delight, "Maybe I should rip off this tail of yours, first?"

The downed girl's violet eyes glared back -one half-lidded from the pain,- at the silver haired vampire as she viciously tugged on her tail. Kurumu tried to kick Moka away, but the more agile and powerful version of the pink haired girl merely swatted the leg away and tightened her grip, picking Kurumu up and promptly whipping her into one of the decaying tree's trunk, shattering it. The next thing she knew was the feeling of her two leathery wings being gripped tightly and a powerful foot pushing into her back, between the joints of her wings, "Perhaps your wings should be yanked off, instead!"

The murderous hostility that flared within those ruby-red, slitted orbs was terrifying to the succubus, and yet she couldn't do a single thing; the weakest point on the body of her race just happened to be the wings. If not handled very delicately, the pain would be so excruciating that the body would be effectively paralyzed. That was what the bluenette was currently feeling; the equivalent of several thousand needles jabbing into her and striking her with an electrical charge.

"P-please!" Kurumu attempted to say, but only a hissed squeal escaped as she mouthed the words, several beads of tears forming on the corners of her eyes. Her violet eyes clenched shut as she tried to contain the tears and ward off the pain; she wouldn't let Moka see her cry, she couldn't.

"Hahaha! The self-assured succubus begs for her life? Why, why should I give you a chance?" Inner Moka questioned, a venomous undertone flowing out with it as her eyes narrowed and her spiteful smirk grew wider.

Inner Moka would listen to her plea, oh yes, she would. She couldn't imagine what would drive the woman before her, groveling and being driven into pain beneath her foot, to think that anything she said would make her be even slightly _willing_ to spare her after she dared to lay hands on her.

"I-I was just doing it f-for my spe-CIES!" The succubus went to explain, only to degenerate into screams as Moka began to dig her heel into her back and grind it from side to side. The vampire's powerful grip began to stretch the membrane between the bony 'fingers' of her wings to its maximum breadth and the thin skin started to discolor along the connections to said 'fingers'.

"Your species? Ha! Your species is one of dubious scruples and debauchery! Your kind is without honor, and should they die out, it will be at their own hands!" The silver-haired vampire bent down and grabbed the succubus up by the scalp, ensuring that she brought pain to the girl as she pulled her free from under her foot and held her at slightly above eye level, a murderous and taunting gleam in her eyes.

Her arm tensed, ready to toss the girl who was silently pleading with her eyes, into the trees when a new presence entered the fray. It was small, diminutive as it approached and was slow moving. She dismissed it as a minor annoyance that had come to investigate the disturbance in the wood; perhaps one of the Headmaster's aides.

Yet as it drew closer, she began to realize that it wasn't diminutive, rather it was so compact and controlled that it leaked the presence of a minor monster, perhaps a class D, or C at best. It was still no worry for her, a super-vampire, and one of the only class S monsters in existence. Here she had subdued a class B, a succubus, with ease.

Soon, it was within range to be seen and she turned her head to look at the new arrival. Standing in the clearing, his clothes torn and four gashes along his left arm that looked to have been bleeding up until recently -which must have been where the light, delicious smell was coming from- stood a brown headed teen, his head slightly declined enough that his eyes were not visible.

Moka's eyes narrowed as a hazy memory entered her mind, no doubt a bleed over from her other self. She could see a foggy image of a brown haired boy staring passively at her, the barest hint of a smile on his lips as he walked with her down a dirt path in the night. She was about to pass him off as insignificant until Kurumu looked over and took in a sharp, ragged breath and stuttered out his name, "T-Tsukun-ne..."

The name caused Moka's eyes to widen as she realized just who it was that was standing a little under a hundred feet from her and Kurumu. She didn't have the greatest memory bleed from her other side, but she knew he was an aspiring friend that had been taken over by the succubus' charm. A small smile covered her lips, "Ah, Aono Tsukune... You're the one that tried to hold the other me captive so that this wretch could kill her."

The brunette teen took a single step forward, and Moka narrowed her eyes at the perceived act of defiance, "Of course, you were under the control of this woman..." She proceeded to glare at the succubus before she tossed her into a nearby tree.

As she reached down to pick the aqua haired girl back up, she addressed Tsukune dismissively, not looking at him at all, "Of course, I cannot allow my other side to have a charge that cannot protect her properly... You will need to be punished, first."

Without a second thought, the vampire prepared to ram her first through Kurumu's chest as she once more had the terrified girl dangling by her head, fist poised afore the girl's heart. That was when she heard it; a soft, faint voice that came from the boy. It was in his usual monotone, not that she would know, yet it held an edge of danger to it, "Release Korono Kurumu; she has taken her punishment and has

learned her lesson."

Moka blinked and slowly rounded on him, her slit eyes boring into him over the distance between the two. She couldn't believe that this _boy_ was ordering _her_ to do something; much less release the winged girl, especially after he had allowed himself to be charmed which put her other side in danger. That alone was baffling, but that he wanted her to release the one who had forced him to act against his will, it was ridiculous. She narrowed her eyes, "You do not talk to me in such a way; I will do as I deem fit to the situation at hand. You are lucky you are not in her position at the moment, as well."

Tsukune began to walk at a normal pace, and as he got closer to the two, Moka began to feel that his concentrated energy wasn't growing very rapidly anymore and allowed a pleased smile to grace her lips as her dangerous ruby eyes tightened at the edges. The boy would, indeed, be punished severely for this act of noncompliance... She would ensure that.

Kurumu tired to turn her head even more to look at Tsukune, a worried look just over-shadowing the anger she felt towards the boy who had not only shattered her second to strongest charm possible, but had conspired with the pink haired blood-sucker to ruin her plan. She knew that the vampire would kill him, and while she felt that her only choice to save her project was to kill him, she didn't want to do it and certainly didn't want _her_ to do it. She took in a breath and attempted to plead and warn him, "T-tsukune! G-go... she'll kill u-"

She was promptly shut up by a quick jab into the stomach that knocked the breath out of her along with a spray of saliva that narrowly missed the aristocratic vampire. Turning her attention from the pathetic bat-girl back to the slowly approaching teen, she gave a sneer, "Do you think yourself capable of stopping me? You haven't the power to fight me as you are now, and you won't even when you show your true form!"

A soft, haunting laugh rolled through the dead forest, carrying with it a chill that almost made the composed super-vampire shiver. Without warning, before her slit eyes, Tsukune's form faded from view. She blinked and looked around in suspicion, her muscles tensing as she dropped Kurumu to the ground and shifted her weight ever so slightly into a basic defense stance.

It was quick and without warning, but her senses finally picked up the light pulses of a small youki that was now directly behind her by perhaps twenty feet. She smirked and quickly turned to face the boy, intent on humiliating him and then punishing him for daring to demand something of her, as well as for falling prey to the blue haired succubus' charm.

She faced the boy and made to walk towards him as he stared right up at her with his coffee colored eyes, cold and calculating. As she got closer, she noticed that the boy showed no signs of fear, nor did he seem to be in doubt over the fact that he would come out victorious. A haughty, mocking laugh escaped her as she reached the ten foot marker between the two.

"Every monster is but a mongrel beast at the foot of a vampire, including you," Inner Moka informed him as she stepped closer and closer to him. Her sultry walk, and the way she swung her hips did nothing to draw the boy's eyes away from her own, though she supposed it was for the best; while enjoying the envy and want would be fun, she'd feel dirty that such a lower species thought they could have her.

Finally, she got within three feet of him and prepared to use her signature attack against him. As she tightened up her leg, and had the words, 'Know your place' on her tongue, an incredible force bore down on her. The shock was such that she actually lost balance and fell to one knee. It wasn't as strong as her own, but it was easily a medium A rank's youki pressure.

"The arrogance you possess is something to be admired; any other being would have been crushed under its weight," She heard the emotionless, monotonous voice of the brunette say and snapped her head up to glare into his eyes as she pushed herself into a standing position. Such an action was a mistake, one which she immediately learned about.

She had only a second to spare as she watched the brown eyes brighten up into a bloody crimson; the same color of her own slitted pair, if not even more-so. His pupil shrunk down and on the cusps of where it had previously been, three tomoe swirled into being and continued to circle the pupil. Immediately, her vision began to swim slightly, "What have you done!"

She was not permitted an answer and instead received a shock as her rosary was placed into her hand which had outstretched on its own, daintily curling around the silver holy item. She tried to look down, but found that her own eyes couldn't escape the gaze that the sharingan had. Tsukune's eyes narrowed just a little, "Place the rosary back on its chain, Moka."

Her eyes widened and she grit her teeth, baring her fangs openly at the brunette boy, "No, you will be punished for this!"

She was surprised when her vision began to blur and her arm started to twitch in an attempt to move on its own. She growled and her free hand clenched into a fist as she attempted to swing at the teen, and was surprised when she missed by a large margin. Again, he spoke, "Akashiya Moka, place your rosary back upon its chain."

The silver haired woman hissed as her nostrils flared. Her muscles started to burn from the strain of fighting between moving to put the cross back on, or to simply hold it stationary. She could feel her youki building in her to try and support her muscles in holding it stable, when his tomoe sped up in their circuit, "Moka Akashiya..."

"Replace..." Her arm started twitching a lot more, and her teeth grit so tight she swore that either they, or her jaw, would break soon from the sheer force she was putting on them.

"The," Her muscles gave in, or perhaps even more fell to his control as her arm slowly moved towards her chest and the loose clasp where the rosary attached to her choker. 'How is this _substandard beast_ able to do this!' She found herself screaming mentally.

"Rosary," Without warning, her chest arched out upon his order, displaying the clasp along with a fair amount of cleavage whilst her arm gained momentum and brought the blessed cross to the clasp of the rosary beaded choker. With a combined horror stricken and hate-filled glare, the silver haired, arrogant and vastly more powerful side of Moka was sealed away, and with it went the perpetual darkness and the bloody moon.

As the girl's hair faded from silver back to pink and her eyes weakly opened to reveal them to be the off-jade of the innocent, sweet girl, Tsukune allowed a small twitch of his lips upwards as he caught the off-balance and severely weakened girl by the shoulder. She blinked her eyes and looked incoherently at Tsukune for a moment before she blinked again, "A-ano, w-wha' happen'?"

He suppressed a small amused snort at her slur, and instead pointed behind her to where the blue haired girl was laid in a tangled mess, likely somewhere between lucidness and unconsciousness. The girl gasped and tried to get up to run over to the succubus, but almost fell on her face in the process. Tsukune grabbed her and helped her regain balance, "Your transformation clearly drains you of energy, you need to replenish. Need I find some water and food?"

She blinked owlishly -as owlishly as someone extremely exhausted can- and a light blush colored her cheeks as she shook her head 'no', "F-food won't help, I don't t-think."

Tsukune cocked his head to the side, "Would you happen to know what would? I remember the girl calling you a vampire, and your other side did the exact same. Perhaps blood?"

The sakura haired girl looked away from him, a nervous look in her jade eyes as she did so. She began to poke her two index fingers together in a vain attempt to bide her time and control her nervousness. After a moment she heard Tsukune grunt in an attempt to remind her to tell him. "Y-yes, blood would help... B-but tomato juice will work, too!" Moka blushed, and added quickly.

His wrist was placed before her as he stared indifferently at her, "You may drink; only enough to get you on your feet."

Off-jade eyes widened in surprise, sparkling with a hidden glee and trembling with a nervousness and worry. She glanced down to the offered appendage and then back up to him, "R-really?"

A nod from Tsukune answered her, "Yes; you are weak. Blood is not only more efficient, I'm sure, but it is closer than tomato juice is currently."

She gave a tiny smile and looked down to hide the rosy blush that covered her cheeks and would likely make its way up to her ears if she did it any harder. She hesitantly moved to his wrist and lightly grazed her tiny fangs against his flesh, causing her to shiver. She quickly buried her fangs into his wrist and began to drink his life's blood and apparently it was delicious, or so the light, airy groans she released belayed.

After a little more than five seconds, she felt his offered wrist being pulled away and released the bloody joint, lightly licking the crimson liquid off of her pink lips. She looked up to see that Tsukune had turned his back to her and was walking over to Kurumu now. She quickly jumped up and caught up with Tsukune who was now kneeling down beside the girl.

"What did I do to her?" Tsukune was partially surprised by the worry that the girl felt, but another half of him expected it from the innocent girl. He blinked and looked at her through his peripheral, "You attempted to kill her. Of course, she tried to kill us, as well... Yet, you were drawing it out."

Moka's eyes stretched open in surprise and fear, and a deep worry developed in them and it was also clear in her voice, "Did... Did I, you know?"

Tsukune gently touched the girl's head, then ran his hands along her surprisingly soft and silk-like leathery wings. He frowned as he reached the joint of the third 'finger' on her left wing. He turned to her, "You didn't; you were close to doing so, however. As it is, the worst you did was over stretch the ligaments in her wing, and cause severe bruising."

The pink headed vampire gave a little whimper of worry for the girl. In spite of everything that Kurumu had done to her, she didn't want the girl to die. Hell, she didn't even really want to hurt her for what happened; all she wanted was for there to be a peace and understanding between the three of them; mainly that Moka wasn't trying to interfere with... whatever she had planned, and that as long as Tsukune wasn't involved sans his own will, it would be fine.

"Come, we're heading to the infirmary. Both of you will be looked at," Tsukune explained as he gently picked up the injured succubus, making sure that her wings were not strained in any way, and began to walk towards the academy infirmary with Moka walking alongside him, strangely jealous of Kurumu's place in his arms, yet not angry in the least.

**Alrighty then! **

**That's over, so... How was it? I hope the entire fight with Kurumu and Moka was somewhat believable. I know it wasn't long, nor was it as awe-inspiring as the fight with Saizou, and it wasn't supposed to be. This was purely to display Inner Moka's debut as the aristocratic, haughty bitch that she is currently, and to display the strength of the hypnotic effect of the sharingan. His eye is rather powerful, but one of the reasons he got her so easily under his control was due to surprise; she wasn't expecting it, at all. **

**You may have noted that it got choppy -to me- around the cafeteria scene? That's where I began to have the most difficulty and where I thought I may have had to stop prematurely. I'm glad I didn't. **

**Ah, I won't be updating for about two weeks, possibly longer. My reasons are thus; I try to have a complete chapter between the one that is in progress and the one that is being used as the update, and I currently _just_ finished chapter seven, and need to get eight down and begin on nine before I update again. The second reason is that I am going to a job fair tomorrow (5/23) and _may_ be successful -cross your fingers, loyal readers- so that may impede my writing process, too.**

**So, what do you think, let me know. **


	7. Vulnerability

**What's up, loyal readers? Unloyal readers, I've arranged you all a membership to Reader's Anonnymous, come back in two-six weeks. Now, back to the important chickens, how are you all? Bad? I know, I know it was a horrible prank, soaking your undergarments in kerosene and inviting you to a barbeque. But it was funny, huh? Seriously though, I'm glad to present to you all the newest chapter of Aono's Kaleidescope!**

**Now, as per my usual ritual of excellence, I shall reply to my reviewers. On a side-note, doesn't this make you think of some episodes of a certain late-night show on TENDH, my answering of this/these? **

**Anon- Thank you, and your order is served. That'll be your first born, and your left leg, please.**

**Nny – Firstly, how the hell do I pronounce that? Secondly, thank you and I know, right?**

**SorryNeedAnAccount- Haha, well don't sweat such a petty thing. (And while you're at it, don't, well... you know. Hah!) Yeah, the job fair was fairly hectic, but I managed, unfortunately my dignity has once more gone down the drain with yet another failure, note the disclaimer below. Yeah, it's been seven days, not long really, when you think about it...especially considering I'm still getting the occasional review on my SOA story. Meh...**

**Thanks for the compliment, and I tried my best to make it as descriptive as I could without making it a, quote unquote, 'Information dump', as Is my natural information style – mentioned something to that effect in a past answer to someone on here. As for whether it was difficult to explain it, well, not too terribly... I have shit like that going on in my head all the time, and it helped that I built the damn thing on a whim in Halo: Reach's forge, so not quite without reference, but... yeah.**

**Yeah, everyone just makes Kurumu's illusion not take, or it's easily broken out of most of the time. I tend to pay attention, and I know that the illusions of the succubae are quite powerful and, indeed, mind-boggling when applied correctly. I don't want him to become overpowered, however he will be fairly powerful in time. He _will_ still be trounced and have close calls, the latter slightly more-so than the former, but just as equally and possibly more-so he will prevail with minor contest. And yes, the sharingan is extremely powerful, once completely developed, heh. **

**Huh, you speak the truth? Well, I thank you for that; I tried my hardest and, whilst I have the manga to reference, just mainly ran on my own steam. Yeah, I didn't think it needed to be a massive fight -or even a fight on Tsukune's part- at all, plus it allowed me to truly characterize Ura, and display the contempt she has for him. So, thank you for your review, and I hope the EotY shit goes good and without too much of a hitch. **

**Hellow- Thank you, I'm glad I was able to properly pull off that entire she-bang, heh. I hope to hear from you again.**

**Infernus87- You and (hopefully) everyone else, and you shall. Just bare with me, it'll be a long and hopefully surprising road.**

**Garra King of the Sand- I understand, and it's no problem. Yeah, going over my Master Document, I realized that I had started to use Italics for strong flashbacks and just stopped... so, at some point, I'm going to at least go back and fix _that_. Maybe it'll help.**

**Prodigal Priest- Man, been a bit since I've heard from you, nice to know you're still with us. As, apparently, everyone else was, too. It's strange that I'm one of the first (leaving room for one or two unsung authors on here) who have made Inner Moka work towards her intended potential. Indeed, and just as in life, some of those seeds will flourish, whilst a few will not rise to fruition, despite efforts given.**

**Thank you, and I hope to continue having your appraising eye watching as he -and the story as a whole- progresses. **

**Remzal Von Enili- Yes it can, though only if it isn't racially restrictive. i.e. Kurumu's brand of charm, or the Doppleganger's perfect transformation. It will mainly be spells of the witches and such (I've got a plan for diversity), only reworked some. You'll understand it when I explain it as it comes up. **

**Epicweaver- Well, it should be happening soon-ish. I hope it don't disappoint. As to your review of chapter 1, well... You'll find out a little later. Suffice to say, they're a little... estranged at the moment. **

**Hypothetical Spiritual Entity- Oh, I agree on that front, and so Tsukune had a _grand ol' time_ escaping from her illusion. However, keep in mind that just as he caught Moka by surprise, Kurumu did the same to him. Granted, even with the sharingan active, her predisposed affinity and genealogy for them would have made for quite the staring match, as it would've been. Even without him being jaded, what is the chance of proud, imperialistic Inner Moka cowing out to a sparkly-eyed, stiff upper-lipped teen who she only sees as food? I think about none.**

**Pyromania101- Haha, well I thank you for the well-wishes, but if you've read my earlier replies, then you know how that went. Oh, she will want revenge, but she won't be too angered to think things through. It's just the lack of information and such that will likely interfere... dunno yet. They are common brutes, but considering that through rumors and false information, as well as riding on Alucard's generational reputation and the odd occasional vampire making a name for themselves, they've earned their place (in a rogue's sort of way) to the top. Haha, imagine, 'Moka is a good girl' I can see it now, the new Tobi.**

**Haha, nope, but it is a grand old thought. Although, for me, the roles would have to be reversed for that response – otherwise, I'd be angry. Pain=hatred. Meh. See ya, brother man.**

**Orchamus- Haha, well... wait until a little later; if things go as planned, it'll get worse before it gets better. **

**Disclaimer: I own your eyes for the approximated thirty-minutes it will take you to read this, but after that, you are free to leave -_If you dare!_ I don't even own the network that I referenced backwards, so as to save my ass if I forgot to put this useless bar of info here. FUCK! I need money... and a life... and a pet echidna. Anyone got one?**

**Chapter 7: A road called repentence.**

Tsukune opened his eyes and blinked twice. He had been waking up at seven-thirty on the dot ever since he truly got over the sickness he felt after killing Saizou, and the subsequent feeling he got when the fight with Inner Moka commenced and he returned to his dorm. He hadn't been able to properly place it as of yet, but he assumed that it was because of his Sharingan gaining a third tomoe. He never really activated his crimson eyes for more than a few seconds at a time, with the exception of the two fights he had thus far been in.

Before he had come to Youkai Academy, he would have his two tomoed sharingan activated almost a fourth of the day as he copied down details from his school-books and from almost every other book in his library. In an odd twist, the sharingan _didn't _ copy anything seen on a computer screen if there was any glare at all... Or rather, it would only copy the glare, and nothing else.

After preforming his morning rituals of eating breakfast, getting dressed, brushing his teeth, and using the restroom, he left the dormitory building and began walking towards the school. He blinked and tensed, awaiting what had become his usual companion in to school to greet him. He didn't have to wait long.

Much to his minor annoyance -a feat considering he had been grumpy the entire first day she had done it- he felt the familiar pressure of a face being buried between his shoulders and two soft but extremely strong arms encircling him as well as two moderately sized soft globes pressing into his back. A muffled yell of, 'Morning, Tsukune!' came from this attacker.

He resisted the urge to sigh and instead, waited for the living missile to detach from its place on his back. After a moment, the arms released and the familiar shade of pink hair exclusive to one Moka Akashiya peaked from around his shoulder and her brilliantly green eyes blinked innocently. Tsukune nodded, "Good morning, Moka-san. I trust your morning is well thus far?"

She smiled as she stepped out from behind him. Her arms were behind her as she leaned forward slightly, one of several habits of hers when she was happy and in Tsukune's presence. "Of course! It's been a wonderful day," Moka contently said as the two began to walk towards the main academy building.

Amidst their trip the usual gawking and envious/resentful boys -as well as a handful of girls who had picked up the green-eyed bug- made their personal thoughts known to the world; exclaiming their adoration for the pink haired vampire walking beside him, as well as their desires to both be in Tsukune's position as well as their yearning to _be_ with the beauty beside him.

Others yelled in outrage that he didn't deserve to be her friend/boyfriend/lover -wherever the hell they managed to get two of those notions from, Tsukune was clueless- and how they would just love to knock him from the picture and replace him. The teen let out an exasperated breath, catching Moka's attention, "Is something wrong, Tsukune?"

The brunette merely nodded his head in the direction of several individual masses which looked to be fusing and becoming a single organism, what with how tightly packed the envious and jealous masses were. In all honesty, it was one of the stupidest things the sharingan host had ever seen, and that was saying quite a bit.

At what her friend was motioning to, a sheepish smile came over her and a light blush warmed her cheeks. She gently reached over and patted Tsukune's arm, "T-they're just... excitable."

His eyes closed as he rolled them slightly, 'Excitable? Of course, and a murderer is just a 'little angry'.' A small frown tugged his lips down and his brow creased slightly as he looked over to his companion and considered her for a moment. She was a paradox to him; she was extremely innocent and meek despite her description of her home life. She was smart and knowledgeable to an extent that she, sometimes, got a few things to go over his head, yet she acted like she didn't know a single thing until it came out in random conversation. Still yet, she had great intuition, when she listened to it... something she didn't usually do.

Still, despite all the confusion surrounding her, he was not bothered by it all too much. The fact that she was still a nice and sweet girl who looked out for others before herself was admirable to him and, as far as he was concerned, made her that much more of a good person.

Beside him, Moka blinked and cast her off-jade towards him. Her lips pulled into a blissful smile at the thought of her new friend. Aono Tsukune was many things, but the one thing she realized quickly was that he was incredibly understanding and forgiving. She had been so devastated when he told her, in some detail, what she had done to Kurumu and said she would do to him.

The fact that the 'other Moka' was so haughty and proud as to believe that she could rightfully treat anyone as she wanted just for not addressing her correctly, or for trying to correct her from making a fatal mistake, was terrible to think about. Moka had been distraught about it, but Tsukune had waved it off, saying that he didn't blame her for what had happened and actually admitted that, although a lot of what Inner Moka had said was out of place, she made one correct point; Kurumu had planned to kill both himself and her.

Wisely, Tsukune kept the fact that he had used his sharingan to subdue her other self a secret, and indeed kept the eyes themselves a secret as well. The brunette boy had been worried for a time as he had them activated up until he picked the aqua-haired girl up to take her to the infirmary... It seemed that Moka was so mentally fatigued that she didn't note the eyes at the time, nor did she remember them at all.

The pinkette smiled at the thought of how Tsukune had taken care of her after the fight. Despite the fact that she had just wanted to go to her dorm after the two took Kurumu to the infirmary, he had insisted in a steely monotone that she would be staying to at least be looked over. When she protested, Tsukune had said he wouldn't hear of it and that, "If I must, I will stay here and await the results of the examination by one of the nurses."

She had been worried that he had simply said it to make her go in and agree to having a check-up on her health, yet almost an hour after being called in and having been looked over she had exited the initial hall of minor-care rooms and went into the main lobby. An instant nausea and panic arose as she glanced around the room and instantly felt as if her fears were realized, up until he had unwittingly poked her in the ribs from his place in one of the chairs sat snugly in the corner, almost directly behind her. She had jumped a foot off the ground with a squeal and turned, eyes wide and filled with surprise which quickly changed to glee and relief upon seeing his characteristic stoical stare focused at her, along with an arched eyebrow.

Tsukune had then taken it upon himself to walk her back to her dorm room, just in case. Moka smiled, remembering that halfway back from the infirmary she had stumbled,the lack of nutrients in her body creating an anemic effect. The brunette boy had caught her when she started falling to the ground and helped her walk for a while, until the weakness ebbed and her equilibrium leveled out.

After taking her to her dorm and actually walking her up to her room on the third floor, ignoring the dorm-mistress' protests of having a male enter the dormitories after-hours. Moka had expressed worry on his behalf of the risk he posed for ignoring the forty-something year old matron, but he had simply waved it off and explained in his soft monotone that he didn't trust any of the women in the dorm with her safety, that if her anemic symptoms surfaced again, he wouldn't put it past them to leave her there.

"A-ano," Moka had murmured as he turned away from her at her door and started walking off. Tsukune stopped and looked back at her, head cocked slightly to the side, "What?"

Her green eyes shifted as she tried to find the right words, meanwhile her hands lightly fumbled with the hem of her skirt. After a moment, she looked up with a nervous, sheepish expression, "A-are we... friends now/"

Two separate blinks followed the inquiry as Tsukune thought about the question posed and what his answer would be. He supposed that, at worst, she would need protection most of the time, however that was not the case if her rosary came off- something he was not the keenest on happening. In all other things though, she was an amazing person to be around... incredibly kindhearted, slightly meek but she usually didn't hide her own opinions, and she had yet to show any sign of a heavy moocher.

The barest hint of a smile nipped at the corners of his lips and for an instant, his face softened slightly. Turning his back to her, he started walking off towards the staircase, but not without letting his answer slide over his shoulder, "I believe we are, yes. Good-night, Moka-san."

It had been such a great night for the pink haired vampire; she could hardly get to sleep due to the giddiness running rampant through her. She finally managed to sleep after using up her energy jumping around her dorm.

Back in the present, Tsukune and Moka had passed the envious mass of students, that is to say, they passed those envious students who didn't mind to yell out their thoughts of the two. Half of those they currently passed either were dumbfounded and struck by Moka's beauty, or they were glaring daggers and silent death threats at the brunette teen walking beside her.

The duo tried their best to ignore the pointed looks at the two of them, yet between seeing it coming and the fact that they could both feel the hairs on the back of their neck stand on end, as well as the unnerving pressure that pushed upon their backs, they simply found it almost impossible.

Thankfully, before the pair were driven mad, something ripped their attention away from their peers. This distraction came in the form of something blotting out the sun in the sky, making both Moka and Tsukune's eyes look up to see the source of this anomaly, as did a great majority of the other students standing around.

As the object fell from the sky, everyone began to see that it was human-shaped and began to worry somewhat. A few of the onlookers took off running, intent on letting the head nurse know so that she could have a bed ready, just in case the person needed medical attention. Others, meanwhile, simply gawked as the falling body grew closer and closer to the ground.

Mid-fall, the person changed their trajectory and seemed to speed up in their descent. Without any warning, it turned again and began to fly in a distinct direction and gained even more speed. Maybe fifty feet above everyone, the person falling finally yelled out, "Yahoo!"

After that, the next thing anyone knew was that Tsukune and Moka both were knocked off of their feet and had skidded a little ways backwards, and both were now hidden beneath a cloud of dust that billowed about them with a thickness that was near impossible to match.

Tsukune blinked and found his vision clouded by a cream... something. This something was rather soft and had a malleability to it that would be near impossible to match to anything else, save perhaps very vet clay, or oddly... gelatin. This item was clearly weighing him down and seemed to have most of it's mass centered just above his pelvis. Adding onto it, this cream colored item, as well as the rest of it was clearly breathing, and taking into the scent of it; a familiar smell that reminded him of faint cotton candy, he knew what it was.

Moka on the other hand had no idea what happened and blinked in rapid succession, trying to get the dust out of her eyes and sit up. She coughed and slowly sat up to see the cloud had slightly dispersed and she could see in front of her some. As her eyes adjusted amidst the constant blinking she had to do, she managed to make out a movement that soon proved to be Tsukune sitting up from the ground with a familiar person latched onto him, her arms encircling his head which was smashed into what would have been her cleavage, had it not been obscured by the cream-colored sweater.

"Good Morning Tsukune-kun, Moka-san!" Kurumu greeted stridently. Tsukune's eyes narrowed infinitesimally as he pushed Kurumu away from him, forcing her to get to her feet and take a step back. As he got to his feet and brushed himself off, he noticed that the blue haired girl was standing there, smiling at him... There was no anger in her eyes, nor much -if any- fear of him. He tried to think of anything he could have done to change the way she would have reacted according to his analysis of her, but only managed to make his head hurt as he drew a blank.

Having given up on trying to figure this out, Tsukune was fully content to ignore the girl and keep walking when Moka walked up and let out one last cough as the smoke-screen let up when a wind blew through. The vampire allowed a stunned and perplexed expression before she tilted her head, "Kurumu-san? W-what are you doing? Aren't you supposed to be in the Infirmary until Monday?"

The blue-haired seductress smiled brightly. "Well, I got tired of being cramped up in that place; I'm better, so it's no problem. Besides," She scooted up to Tsukune and pressed her oversized chest against his lightly, moving back at the slight narrowing of his mistrusting eyes, "I, um, I made some cookies... Won't you share them with me,Tsukune-kun?" She smiled as the two finally noticed that she was holding a wicker basket filled with something draped under a thin, white cloth.

Brown eyes gained a curious glint, and the sharingan wielder's eyebrow rose slightly. "For what reason would you, the one that tried to bind my will and kill me, bake cookies with the intention of sharing them with me?" Tsukune stoically voiced his cautious question, wishing he could activate his sharingan and visualize the lies from the truth.

It confused him when Kurumu suddenly burst into a blush that almost overwhelmed anything Moka had ever sported, and in a shy voice said, "It's because you're my... Destined One."

Tsukune glanced to Moka, hoping she would know what the girl before him was talking about, but received a sheepish shrug in return and let loose a mental sigh. Retuning his focus to the big-breasted girl before him, he asked, "This is important, because...?"

The blush she sported seconds ago erupted into a brighter shade as she fumbled for the right words. "A Destined One is the one man that a succubus will spend the rest of her life with; he is the one man she will love entirely and the only one whose children she will bare," Her face began to burn bright with her blush, and surprisingly, despite her obvious want to look away, she persevered, "He is the single, most respected and adored person in her life; nothing will truly come close to mattering more than him. And Tsukune, you're my Destined  
>One, the only man I want in my life.<p>

For several long seconds, Tsukune and Moka both stood in shock at the explanation and declaration from the succubus that had, only a week earlier, tried to kill them both. After a moment, Moka stepped up, "H-how can you know you're falling in love with him? Especially after you did that to him!"

Kurumu winced slightly and took a step back, taking on a miuscular abashed look. The seductress shook her head, "I regret trying to hurt you two... I just, I just didn't want you to get in my way of finding my Destined One."

Moka, in turn, took a step forward and further took up for her first friend, "So why do you think that he's your _Destined One_, since you tried to _kill_ him?"

A frown crossed the ocean-blue haired girl's face. "I don't _think_ he's my Destined One, I _know_ he is... I can't explain how I know; I just know for a fact that he's the one. As I said, I'm really sorry for what I did, but... It's in the past, right?"

Tsukune stepped up at this point and narrowed his eyes at her, "I do not take someone trying to end my existence _lightly_, and I most certainly do not trust you..."

A nervous and ashamed expression painted over Kurumu. The way he said it, it literally nipped at her heart and stung when it connected. She could most certainly understand just why he acted this way; after-all, she tried to _kill him_. Yet, somehow, she thought that he'd simply laugh it off as a misunderstanding, and that somehow she would be able to be with him without any complications.

Now, as her fantasy crumbled before her, she knew for a fact that she had seriously screwed up. Her entire reason for attending Youkai Academy in the first place was to find her Destined One, and barring that, to create a harem large enough to both sustain her and make her mother both proud and envious.

She knew that if she had any chance of fixing what had happened, she would need to do everything in her power to remedy the situation that she now found herself in, supposing that they didn't give her a clear chance to clear her name in their eyes... Or at least, Tsukune's eyes, Moka had no use to her and, save being close to Tsukune and being in his favor, was not necessary.

Kurumu looked up to face Tsukune and Moka, "I feel terrible that I did that, Tsukune-kun, and as I told you, I was just afraid you'd get in my way... I didn't know you were who I was looking for all this time." The aqua haired girl turned to face Moka and forced herself to face her, despite the face-melting glare the generally kindhearted girl was sending her way, "Especially you; I thought that you _liked_ Tsukune and would hold harder onto him that much more, and I also thought that you'd try to stop me because it was the... 'right' thing to do."

Tsukune frowned, his eyebrows knitting lightly together. A soft breath escaped the girl next to him and he flicked his eyes to the side, absently wondering her thoughts. The pinkette spoke up not to long after, "I... kinda understand. You're wrong though; I wouldn't have tried to stop you if you didn't try to get Tsukune. He's the only friend I have, and I won't let anything happen to him."

Tsukune stared on through, seemingly not caring about what was being said, yet a strange warmth burned in his chest at hearing Moka's declaration of protective friendship. The thought of her conviction towards the bond they now shared -however new- was an encouraging notion, and it made him smile mentally.

Then his thoughts shifted to this Korono Kurumu, the succubus that had been dead-set on killing both himself and Moka. The fact that she had done that and he had saved her from death and went the extra mile to carry her to the infirmary was not an odd thought; it was common decency, in his eyes, to help those that hadn't died in battle against you, and even then, an honorable burial or pyre was essential. Such was another lesson instilled in him by Asura Momochi: that no matter the grudge you and the enemy have, unless they succeed in killing someone you hold close, or betray a peace pact, they are to be treated with respect and common decency upon the end of a fight.

Now, the very same woman comes up and presses her breasts into his face, declaring to him that he is some racial-specific person known as a 'Destined One', which turned out to be a succubus' soul mate -of sorts. The very thought of this was... uncomfortable at best -if slightly flattering- and Tsukune felt that it was much too soon to be so forgiving as to simply go 'Oh, really? Alright.' Despite these reservations, though, he found himself feeling somewhat... attached to the girl. It made no sense, and she hadn't charmed him again; he had discretely flashed his sharingan moments ago to make sure.

To be sure, this was frustrating. He was not one for holding grudges for long, yet he never forgot the iniquitous acts wrought against him, and thus it took him a long time to truly forgive someone for their crimes -compared to a normal person being fine after a week. In spite of his feelings, he couldn't help but to feel the pricking of his subconscious mind trying to make him wipe the slate clean.

He blinked and turned his attention to Moka who was looking at him, worried, "-kune, what's wrong?"

Shaking his head, he replied that nothing was wrong and that he simply was thinking about something. Relieved, Moka then asked, "Should we give her a chance; see if she will behave and maybe earn our trust?"

'Seriously?' It was the only thing that the brunette teen could think as he eyed Moka momentarily, then turned to Kurumu and eyed her warrily. 'Honestly, Moka, I'm beginning to think you're too nice...' He wanted to pinch the bridge of his nose and stem the oncoming headache from this suggestion his pink-haired friend had lobbed out of left field. The kindhearted girl was truly worthy of that monicker, though, 'Mayhaps she will gain another friend out of... this.'

It struck him all of the sudden that he was Moka's _only_ friend. He was the only person with which she had to hang out with, share her woes, laugh with, and rely on. In some weird way, Moka likely saw a potential ally and friend in this large breasted woman. A small smile formed as he thought of the girl having another friend.

He looked at Kurumu, stared at her and looked her over with his eyes. Narrowing in scrutiny, he cast his vision across her body, assessing her, trying to see any strained muscles that were tightened in discomfort, or any tail-tale body-signs of her lying or being deceptive. She wasn't bouncing her foot, her eyes weren't twitching about, she never once touched her left cheek or rubbed her nose. Finally, he nodded, "So long as you prove yourself trustworthy and behave, you are welcome to come around us."

Genuinely surprised, her immaculate violet-blue irises shrank slightly, her lips quivered with emotions that, at the current moment in time, were impossible for the petite girl to voice, and at the breaking point she took a quick, deep breath to calm her nerves. Tears were not something she wanted to shed at the moment, even those of happiness; after-all, she wasn't in the clear yet, and she still had to get Tsukune to be hers whilst hopefully getting the vampire out of the picture.

Tsukune made a nod towards Moka, an unspoken understanding between the two that roughly meant that he expected her to _try_ to get along with the succubus, so long as she complied to his rule. In reciprocation, Moka gave a small, reluctant smile in the form of the upturning of the corners of her lips some.

He took a moment to glance over the mentally relieved, yet still somewhat tense bluenette before taking a step towards her, offering his hand in an over-handed gesture- a form of body language indicating one's intended place over another in an interaction. She blinked for a moment, staring peculiarly at the offered hand, before the proverbial light-bulb went off in her mind and she quickly took his hand and shook it with a smile that, while muted minutely, was still bright.

"Now then, let us head to our classes; we'll talk at lunch," Tsukune said to the two girls near him. He glanced to the two as he started to walk to both elicit any objections and to further make his message enunciated. Nonplussed, Kurumu blinked and did a double-take as he walked past her and onto the school. Contrariwise, Moka, while still getting used to Tsukune's unique and somewhat atypical mannerisms, had deciphered his 'glancing' habit quickly and walked along with him, bypassing Kurumu with a side-long glance.

Not one to be left behind, especially after being given a chance of redemption from her Destined One -her Mate of Fate- Kurumu wasted no time in clamoring through the few students that had bridged the growing gap between her and Tsukune. She ignored the amazed murmurs that rippled through the crowd over how she was the one following him like the boys, just several days earlier, were following her.

The school day passed fairly quickly, for what it was worth, to Tsukune. His classes had become somewhat mundane in their curriculum; for the most part the teachers had been giving a refresher/enforcing course thus far. Most monsters learned only the basics of language, science, and mathematics -enough for them to survive moderately- in their home-realms during their youth. There, of course, was the occasional well-studied monster, but for the most part, they were on the level of an 8th grader, as it were.

Such policies and temporary remedial courses currently had Tsukune on a partial line between mild tolerance and utter annoyance. He knew that he, of all people, didn't have the right to complain -Scholastically speaking, on a numeric standing- about such things, but it was utterly mind-rending. He had decided that, for all the good intentions he had in doing modicum in school, it _may_ have been a minor error in his judgment; It was almost physically painful to sit and listen to the teachers/sensei of each class go over things which he was far beyond.

However, as of yet he had not been caught during his moments of mental absence, where he drifted off some in thought in an effort to save himself from stress and boredom. So it was with a somewhat disgruntled sigh that Tsukune sat down in his assigned seat on the cement floor of the gymnasium.

Overhead a swift, continuous flickering of one of the many LED lights illuminated those below. A light spring breeze blew into the spacious building as the steel double doors opened at eleven-o'-five, the same time as they had always opened, to allow the tall and slightly muscular frame that was Kotsubo Okuto inside.

The slightly tanned man walked into the room, his feet somewhat shuffling against the ground with a gritty sound from the moderately rough concrete. A single hand was inside of his black trouser-like slacks, his other held a styrofoam cup whose contents he sipped upon for a moment, eying his class in silence.

Aside the barely audible sounds of a few of the students in the back whispering and the light noise of everyone breathing, the concrete and steel building was completely silent save for the sound of the gym teacher drinking an impossibly large amount of water. Finally, three minutes into the class, a loud crunch echoed out as Kotsubo crushed the item in his hands and tossed it, with nary a glance, into the waste bin behind him flawlessly.

"Afternoon, you all." The class began with the orange-haired man's usual greeting as he slowly paced back and forth before the nine lines that were eight students deep. "Today, we're going to be doing a little bit of dodge-ball..." Kotsubo explained, producing a light red rubber ball from behind his back and tossed it up and caught it numerous times, still pacing. After two more laps, he stopped dead center of the fifth row and stared down it, at a particular spot that had -up until today- been unoccupied. A small smirk pulled at the edge of his lips.

It didn't last any longer than two seconds before he was back to his lackadaisical expression. He tossed the ball once more and caught it with both hands this time, "We will have three games going simultaneously; twelve people per team." With that said, he had the students stand up and move to the back wall as he went about and pulled two clear sheets across the gym, effectively separating the three battle-grounds from one another.

He turned to them and allowed an expectant grin to show as he thrust his hands out in a point, snapping his index and middle fingers up, "You, move to the left." One of Tsukune's classmates looked to himself and then to the auburn-haired girl next to him, "U-um, me, sir?" The dark orange-haired teacher nodded his head, "Yes, you, move to the left; these twenty-four will be the first group." He turned to the group which included Tsukune and eyed each of them, "Speak amongst yourselves and choose teams. Those of you inept at math, that's twelve per team."

The twenty-four that were picked for the first team immediately walked to the far side of the gymnasium, forming an oblong circle as he chatting started up. Tsukune let out a low sigh, folding his hands over his chest, "This seems... problematic." He looked around, taking in what would potentially be his team and the team that opposed him. What he saw didn't detract much from his observation; several of the boys that had been in the chosen group were rather muscular, pointed more towards strength than for speed and agility as he had developed himself to be. This wasn't the cause of his annoyance, not all of it, at least.

The cause came from the way they were yelling. "Don't go thinkin' you're top shit; I'm gonna kick yer ass!" One of the more muscular guys said to his slightly smaller counterpart, to which he came back with, "Shyeah, you wish, bitch! I'm gonna smash your face till it pops outta your ass!"

In return, the first one snidely grunted in amusement, "You ain't got a chance, jus' back down little doggie. I gots more power in this arm here, than you have in your entire family _tree!_" Such a statement seemed to irk the smaller teen, and just as he was about to reply, he was shoved aside by another boy who was almost identical to the aforementioned teen, except his hair was light brown rather than raven black. The two began their own boasting match, taking off from where the slightly smaller teen had been nudged out.

These two observations led Tsukune to one conclusion; They were the uniform and disgustingly perfect stereotype of jock. The lack of strong with and the speed with which it was erupting from their mouths was also causing him to lose faith in their mental capacities as well.

Now why was this a problem? Many reasons, but the most forefront being that the game which was about to be played was _dodgeball_, a game that promoted quite a bit of potential for physical pain should someone have the strength to do so... as these guys did. Further, by their pre-game boasting and jabbering, they would be easy to infuriate by the simplest thing, such as winning -an advantage in an open battle-field, but a death sentence in a closed space.

Elaborating on that, they would likely be the type to be overly competitive and probably fall into one of two archetypes: either they would hog the artillery, confident in their ability to 'nail the other bastards in the head' and leave the rest of his team with nary a ball to use as a shield. Or they would _all_ coordinate on a single target, wasting balls and man-power, effectively leaving their own team open as well as generously donating a handful of extra dodge-balls to their opposition.

Tsukune was vividly aware that his thoughts were rather...farfetched in their integrity and intensity, and that there was a decent chance that his observations were overzealous and largely unfair. Yet, this calculating and tactical evaluation was something that was just a step above instinctual and was an unconscious process.

He blinked, realizing as he was pulled from his thoughts, that the formation of the two teams were beginning to take shape. The team captains seemed to be the first guy speaking, Tak Gaulder -the tall, light brown haired teen- and the other seemed to be a small framed girl, barely five-foot in stature whose sickly bone-white hair clung to her face. Her name was Kagura Tobisu

Already, Tak had chosen three people for his team and Kagura was scrutinizing the team, looking for her third team member. Her nose wrinkled some as she pursed her lips, considering those standing around her. Finally, she pointed to a rather round-headed teen whose squirting eyes only eclipsed his almost nonexistent dot of a mouth.

Several more picks were made over the next minute and a half. As of now, Tsukune counted that there were a mere five people left to pick, including himself. Tak glanced over the sparse picking grounds, thumbing his low, bulbous nose as he did so. Finally, he smirked and snapped with a point, "Sertei, you're with me, bro."

A shark-toothed boy with light-green hair gave an insidious grin as he walked onto the jock's team, cracking his knuckles and lightly bobbed his head with his chin held high. Tsukune snorted some, noting with some mild sardonic amusement that the five-foot two teen clearly had little-man syndrome, what with his chin jutting so high into the sky as it was.

Kagura once again glanced through the remaining pick, narrowing her red-wine colored eyes until she landed on the form of her next pick, the corner of her lips upturning a little and a small scoff briefly escaped her. She inclined her hand after unfurling it from over her diminutive chest, "You, get over here."

Tsukune blinked once as she curled her index and pointer finger, beckoning him over towards her team. A low breath left him as he walked over to her team, ignoring the mild chattering of his mismatched team. As Tak went about glancing over the two remaining people, weighing his perceived pros and cons of picking one over the other, the brunette sharingan wielder looked to the side and caught Kotsubo just as he was closing the plastic curtain to contain their area. Strangely, the man's cerulean eyes were focused on-

"You, purple-haired girl, you're with us," Kagura said, taking the last pick after Tak had chosen the wide-eyed, lanky boy who had stood beside the girl. Tsukune blinked, realizing that the girl chosen was the girl whom had been consecutively absent up until today, and who had attracted the gym teacher's attention.

'There's something that truly upsets the atmosphere here; beyond just that of the ambient youki...' Tsukune's eyes narrowed as he looked between the aloof alabaster-white skinned, purple haired girl and the retreating form of Katsubo-sensie, 'It's almost assured to connected to, and coming from him.'

"Alright, let's set these balls up and get ready to throw down, yeah!"

At Tak's signal for the game to begin, Tsukune absently walked along with the rest of his team to one end of the trisected gymnasium. He looked over the would-be 'battle-field' as several runners from each team went about setting up the line. After thirty seconds the teams were fully grouped back together and were staring one another down, picking a target out that they'd go for.

Tsukune cast a fleeting gaze over his team with his head lowered some, matching them up with their intended targets with several covert flashes of his sharingan under his bangs. Finally, as he caught sight of Tak and Kagura eying one-another with a competitive glare, he readied himself to rush out of the gate, so to speak.

It happened in the blink of an eye, and to most, it was imperceptible- the minute nod of the two team leaders and the subsequent rush launched by the two towards the front-lines. Tsukune, ever observant and ready, was on Kagura's heels and slid top a stop on his left knee, grabbing two of the red balls and immediately chucking the one in his right hand, hitting a still lost brunette girl in the shoulder. She blinked and looked down, "Shit!"

A ball soared overhead, prompting Tsukune to look for the assailant that had almost hit him. He found it to be one of the Jock-outcasts – a toady, if you will- that stared at him with a disgruntled sneer at his miss, only to launch his second ball and force Tsukune to move back some. The young man narrowed his eyes and caught the next ball tossed at him, effectively knocking the lanky, thin kid out.

He wasted no time and made to throw the ball, only to have to block another that came from Tak, barely keeping his grip on the ball he used to shield the attack from the force behind the throw. He readied his throw and then readjusted when a ball soared over his shoulder from Kagura, almost pegging Tak in the face. In lieu, he jumped some and sent the rubber artillery in a downward arc towards a muscular kid, but missed when he side-stepped it.

Letting out a small snort, Tsukune grabbed the next ball he could and tossed it in a blonde teen's direction, hitting him in the shoulder just as he had threw a ball that hit near Kagura. He blinked and eyed two people on the other team who were lobbing two balls at a time, -almost constantly- and had easily taken out four of his own teammates. He glanced back and noticed that the purple haired girl had aimed pretty high and watched as she launched the ball. As it went into enemy territory he narrowed his eyes, realizing that it wasn't going to make it's target and so he tossed his second ball.

Across the gym, on the other team, Jei Li snickered as he tossed yet another ball and watched with satisfaction as it hit yet another person on the other team. He found it to be incredibly easy, he had always been able to aim with perfect accuracy due to his ethnicity as a half-breed between a Jorougumo and his father, a Satyr that excelled in archery.

It was then a great surprise and blow to his ego when he was pushed out of the way by his sister, Yuki, who took the over-head arcing dodge-ball straight to the face with enough force to knock her face into his chest hard enough to cause mild pain. Seconds later, a second ball pegged him in the face, finishing its high-arcing throw. He helped his sister up and the two walked over to the side of the gym, awaiting a chance to be pulled back into the game. They missed the triumphant yet somewhat worried glance that came from the stoic brunette on the opposing team.

As he tossed yet another volley of two balls at a random bunched group on the opposite team, his earlier assessments of the possible team make-ups became realized. With five people left on their team, the four jocks grouped together in a cohesive line and began to bombard his team with semi-timed intervals of balls, aiming at him and Kagura- the two who had been the most accurate the entire game, thus far.

Tsukune sighed in mild annoyance and spun, barely getting side-long so the balls would just barely whiz by him -rather than hitting him in his ribs as they would have had he had stayed facing them. He looked over and noticed two of his fellow team members walking over to the wall, apparently having been hit. That left just six others on his own team to contend with the five remaining on the other.

A rubber ball soaring through the air nearly rammed home into Tsukune's solar plexus, and was only saved at the last minute by the brunette teen bringing his right hand up, wielding a ball that deflected the offending object. He barely saw the second ball following up the one which he blocked and ducked out of the way, leaning back and supporting himself with his free hand on the floor.

To his surprise, the moment he leaned down, a ball soared just over his head from behind him, and only just missed Darui, one of the four jocks, by inches. Tsukune launched another ball right as another of the four bent down to grab another of the many red balls which littered the placid skirmish-field. It looked as if it was going to slam directly into his face, but at the last second, he leaned down and it barely scrapped by above his back.

A muted curse left Tsukune's mouth and he took a breath and threw the other ball in his hands, just as his target smirked and released his and the two connected right in the center of their flight path. It happened so fast, the Tsukune narrowly avoided a blind-side via Tak which literally flew by the skin of his nose.

As he turned, he watched as the purple-haired girl let fly two balls that seemed to have a slight sheen over them. A glance at her eyes proved them to be somewhat narrowed, irritation and insecurity within them. As he turned around, he could easily see the plastic curtains movements from where it had just fallen back into place, and he figured that -from previous, but exceedingly recent trends- the gym teacher had been staring at her.

He shrugged it off and catapulted yet another ball at another teen, which missed by way of deflection. Yet, he bore witness to the girl's ball which rammed itself with far more force than should have been possible into Darui's chest, knocking him onto his back, hard. The spiked caramel headed teen grunted as he walked over to his team's elimination sideline and sent a glare over towards the girl, nursing his chest.

As he turned back to the action, he flashed his sharingan so quickly that it didn't have time to complete its visual manifestation and hardly even tented his eyes red, and his vision slowed to a point to where he could see the individual muscles twitch and the thousands of subtle facial twitches that beget everyone's true feelings. If he concentrated, he could perceive the subtle pressure waves that surrounded the balls in flight as they pushed the air currents around their forms. Even more, he could clearly see the bio energies fluctuating and circulating within each of his classmates clearly, as opposed to his two tomoe state in which it was a dim glow with small wisps that indicated a current.

Yet as he went to dodge an oncoming ball even as his power faded from his eyes and his perception of time returned to 'normal', the most glaring flaw of the newest upgrade in his eyes was once again brought to the forefront of his mind; speed. Or rather, his speed. See, as a possessor of a two tomoed sharingan, time slowed to crawl and was found -after several time-trials- to allow him to see time at roughly one-sixteenth the actual speed of time. He had trained hard, beat himself into the ground day after day; endlessly in an effort to achieve a necessary objective: To be able to actually keep up with his perception of time, and he was finally able to achieve that a mere month before entering the Youkai Academy.

Now, almost on the behest of irony, itself, he was once more behind his own perceptive abilities. He could move -in short bursts- at sixteen times the speed of, well, time... Yet he could now perceive everything he set his crimson gaze on at a twenty-fourth of it's true speed. He was effectively back down to a below-par speed.

He blinked as the ball he flawlessly dodged suddenly made a direction change in mid-air and began to head toward the young purple haired woman dressed in the loose light white sweater with deep purple sleeves. She wasn't even aware of the incoming ball, nor the fact that it was rather dangerous. It wasn't perceptible to the normal eye, but upon flashing his eyes again, he could see it frothing with a compressed well of youki, and saw a tether leading off of it.

He narrowed his eyes, unsure as to how to proceed. On one hand, he could leave her to what was to come; he wasn't supposed to know that it was harmful, and clearly no-one else was aware of it, or else a foul would have been called more than likely. She was a total stranger to him, he hadn't even shared worse with her at all and it was literally the first time he had seen her at all. There were no connections, and therefore no need to uphold protection over her.

Yet, on the other hand, he could save her and leave his conscious a _little_ lighter; take a little more weight off of his shoulders -a feeling which had been building since his defeat of Saizou. If he saved her, she would likely either be apathetic to his intervention, which he was perfectly fine with and would, in truth, prefer... Or, she had the potential to become obsessed with him and have a _need_ to be his friend, which would be rather annoying. He had enough friends in his book; Moka, and perhaps Kurumu, too.

A low groan came from him, as he juggled his decisions in this altered state of perception, watching as the malevolently augmented ball soared towards the girl. There was, of course, the third and less anticipated option as to her reaction, one which sat within the central perimeters of the comfortable indifference and undesired 'hero romance' syndrome; she could be one of the feminist types that would get angry over his assistance... She wouldn't be ignoring him, yet she most certainly wouldn't be chasing after him with hearts or possible disillusion of friendship.

His decision made, Tsukune took a breath and hoped in his heart that he wouldn't regret this act of kindness, too. Of course, his act toward Moka actually turned out fairly decent, thus far. The succubus, Kurumu, remained to be seen, but that was neither here nor there. With any luck, his intervention would be received with an indifferent attitude, or in anger... and, as far as he was concerned, luck owed him this.

The ball soared through the air towards its unsuspecting target, and those on her team were paying little attention to a wayward ball, easily chalking it up to a ricochet, or a deflection. Even those that were on the sidelines had little more than a fleeting thought towards the wayward projectile. That was, at least, until Tsukune seemed to move from his spot on the far corner of the segmented court to the back-center and slammed his fist into the ball a mere foot in front of the pale-skinned girl. It must have looked like a close save to all but Tsukune and the one who had set up this trap.

The ball flew back at incredible speeds and slammed into the far wall behind the opposing team and still had enough inertia to slam into the back of Tak's head, sending him to his knees. The commotion brought all the attention towards Tsukune who stared across the way, a deathly blank look in his eyes and the barest hint of a twitched frown on his lips. His hand ached, all the way up to the shoulder and bled slightly into the surrounding areas with dull pangs. From the elbow and below, though, he was on fire as he tried to contain the volatile foreign youki that invaded his limb upon contact with the ball.

"Nice save, but what the hell wa-" Kagura began, a white eyebrow raised in confusion, only to be interrupted by a surprising event.

Without warning, a very bright and very visible bolt of youki lanced off of Tsukune's arm and arced in a wide arch across the 'boundary line', and into the other team's ground. It kept traveling; its tube-like shape of warbling green and vermillion energy let off small discharges that resembled lightning as it got closer to one of the remaining members.

Standing next to Tak, a dark green haired guy garbed in what could only be described as a varsity jacket of some sort watched with wide almond-shaped eyes and contracted honey-brown pupils as the lance of energy curved towards him. 'N-No way, it's not possible... I made s-sure!' It was the last thought he had before it nearly impaled him through his sternum with the force of its impact and launched him back towards the side-lines, shaken and extremely weak if his shaky and unstable balance as he tried to get up were to attest to anything.

At that moment, the plastic curtain-barriers were ripped open and a seriously malcontent Kotsubo Okuto stalked to the central line between the two teams and glared at them both. His muscles were taught and his jaw thick, indicating the gritting of his teeth. He took a breath through his flared nostrils and asked calmly, despite his displeased appearance, "Would one of you mind explaining what happened?"

Silence reigned over its kingdom for a steady ten seconds, and throughout the entire terse moment, one could easily hear the veins in Kotsubo's neck and temple practically bursting from his barely repressed anger. Finally, Tak picked himself up and rubbed the back of his head with a soft groan as he glared at everyone on the opposite team, finally he pointed his finger, "Him, that little prick."

The rusty-orange haired teacher followed the tall teen's accusing finger to the blank stare of Tsukune who manged to somehow make a look of disgusted indifference fashionable. Blue eyes gazed curiously, holding the thinly veiled anger at bay for the time being, at the guarded and dismissive chocolate brown pair that belonged to his most mysterious student, thus far.

The lack of reaction from the accusation wasn't exactly startling, considering the Aono child's personality. No, what had caught his eye was the completely focused and deadly void which bore upon Darui... No, upon closer inspection, it was on the person that stood _behind_ the spiky haired teen. The gym teacher curled his lips into an expression that somewhat belayed his emotions, 'Wataru, what did you do?'

He raised two fingers and called the black haired, angular faced teen over. Darui, for a moment, looked as if he was going to move towards Katsubo, yet stopped after figuring it out when said man sent a glare his way. After a moment, the strapping teen stood beside him with a questioning, if somewhat nervous expression on his thin lips, keeping his buck-teeth disclosed as best he could.

"What'd ya call me for, teach?" Wataru Kaname asked, cloaking his nervous croaking beneath an obviously fake deepening of his voice. The steely blue gaze of the tall gym teacher shifted to him before they went back to the other students that stood silent, refusing to answer the question. Wataru knew better than to call him on it, too, and wisely kept his mouth shut. It was his second year having the man as his gym teacher, and he knew from experience that Katsubo was not a man to be trifled with when angered... It could prove... painful.

After a few more seconds of silence, Katsubo Okuto let out a breath, "Aono, come here." Chocolate eyes shifted over to the voice of the summons and raised an eyebrow, but started to walk over nevertheless. The measured steps and graceful footing caused an odd optical illusion upon Katsubo, and most of the rest of the class; he seemed to have gotten over to the teacher quicker than they expected, yet it seemed to take almost a full minute. The deceptive temporal effect of that grace was truly something unsettling.

Tsukune inclined his head towards his sensei, accounting for the difference in their height, and asked in a soft monotone, "What is it you require, Katsubo-sensie?"

Shrugging his shoulders in an oblong circle to relieve some muscular stress, the orange-haired man looked between Wataru and the brunette teen, "I would like you two to explain to me what all of the commotion, as well as the light show was about."

He saw Tsukune nod and take a breath to answer when Wataru, his eyes shifting a little, spoke up first, "I-it was nothin' Katsubo-sensei, just... You know how hard it is to control ourselves, especially in the middle of a game. I mean, I was just so _pumped_! Dodging and weavin' between balls and sending a poundin' to the other side... I guess, I just lost control." Wataru then lowered his head and lightly scratched his cheek, "Sorry, teach."

"Is that so?" Katsubo questioned, arching one of his queerly shaped eyebrows, and then turned to the vacant, yet crushing stare of the other teen who he had called up. He sized up the boy for a moment and then looked him in the face, "Would you agree with his statement, or is there something you'd like to add?"

Tsukune Aono, for all of his desires to stay out of the lime-light and only be noticed for his raw, personal intellect, if he absolutely _had_ to be known for _anything_, was not one to leave the record smeared if questioned directly. That isn't to say that he would go around and correct everything, even if he knew that what was going down as fact was wrong; he would only do so under direct scrutiny, and even then, it was likely that he would be terse, short and concise in his answer- giving as little detail as possible, and ending the conversation as quickly as possible.

It was by such an unsaid creed that Tsukune answered the gym teacher, ignoring the glare that Wataru sent his way behind the man's back, and the slimy energy that the man projected outwards, "Not quite; perhaps he _did_ lose control over his power, but I find it extraordinarily peculiar that such a thing would happen immediately following the defeat of his team-mate." Tsukune sent a glance towards the caramel headed boy and then towards the girl on his own team whom was targeted, "More-so by the fact that the ball altered its flight path in flight to go after the one whom had knocked the afore mentioned member out."

A small, drawn-out hum of though escaped the tall, lean gym teacher as he looked around the gym for a moment. Finally, he looked over every face in Aono's team, and asked, "Who was allegedly targeted by Wataru-san?"

Tsukune's eyes narrowed some and he titled his head a fraction to the side, nostrils flaring in mild suspicion and alarm, "In what way does that matter on this subject?"

Blue eyes shifted back over and narrowed as the man's orange eyebrows creased and knit together loosely, "It matters because I know the behaviors of all the students here; because I have their files -just as every teacher does- and know how seriously to take a situation based on the records of those involved." He then asked once more with a soft, serious tone and narrowed his eyes a fraction further with each word, "Now again, who was the target?"

A cold, thin smile crossed Tsukune's lips for just the barest moment before it faded into his blank, emotionless line and replied tersely, "Shirayuki-san, she was the intended target." It was all he could do to keep the small sneer from forming as the serious, angered look on the lightly tanned man's face changed to that of indifference with mild amusement within his blue eyes. The man turned to Wataru and gave him a dismissive shift of the head, "We're good, but you best not do anything like that again, kid."

Katsubo Okuto then turned to Tsukune and placed his hand on the teen's shoulder, squeezing it a little harder than was probably necessary, much to the brunette's ire, not that he showed it, "Thank you for coming forward, but Shirayuki-san over there has quite the bad record on her; she has failed her first year here and is retaking it after not showing up for most of last year's classes. She also has several... questionable reports on her record. It is highly doubtful that she didn't do _something_ to provoke Wataru-san's actions."

The man quickly released his grip from the cool, chocolate-eyed teen and turned his back to him, walking off beyond the plastic sheet and pulled it back across the gymnasium. Moments later, the sound of the man announcing that they still had a good ten minutes left was heard, but Tsukune still glared a hole into the curtain, though all but his eyes pointed to him having no feeling towards the event. It was by pure luck that Tsukune had his back to everyone, or else every single person would have bore witness to his blazing crimson eyes with a thick, black circle encasing his pupil due to the rapid pace with which his tomoe were flying around his eye.

The game was on once again, but Tsukune, in such a horrible mood, simply allowed a ball to hit him in the arm and knock him out of the game. With the deep pit of negative emotions that had wedged open from hearing Katsubo's corrupt speech, it reminded him very painfully of what that officer, Morioka Iori had told him. How it seemed that every day it was harder to find light in the world, and that it seemed that ever more corruption was spread to those that you _should_ be able to trust and feel safe around.

Reaching to his chest, he clutched the familiar and comforting wolf-head that was on his necklace, laying under his shirt and blazer. It had blindsided him, the way that Katsubo had acted and so easily cast away his concerns and labeled the purple-haired girl as the entire cause of the altercation. With all the excitement happening, both good and bad, he had left himself unguarded and easily felt the claws of betrayal from an authority figure once more. It caused him to seethe inside and grit his teeth.

Tsukune barely heard the distinct sound of the resounding bell which signaled that the class was over. He had, over the course of the minutes he partially meditated, somewhat curbed his anger with mild success and knew that such a thing was a rather... temporary fix; he'd have to forgo a bit of sleep and train himself dead tired tonight. The teen blinked a few times and shook his head as he walked out of the gymnasium. It was a rather decent testament to the boiling thoughts flowing inside his head from the re-opened wound that Tsukune entirely missed the pair of dismal, deep blue eyes that momentarily lingered on his retreating form.

The walk through the crowded school corridors was one which Tsukune would barely remember when he reflected back on his day before he fell asleep that night. His mind was wrought with thoughts, primarily concerning the biased and borderline corrupt mind-frame that the blasted gym teacher had displayed so freely. The thought made him clutch his hands into fists, as it implied the possibility that every teacher in the place, and indeed, the administrators could be just as -if not more-so- fraudulent.

Such a thought chilled his core and made him think about leaving the grounds, perhaps even leaving the school. He had been surrounded by enough seedy characters in his short life to not want any part of it any longer. That thought was quickly shot in the face however, when he remembered that he was here to further his education -despite some reservations- and that such an option was not exactly profitable. A grunt escaped the boy as he trudged through the sea of bodies.

Finally, after several minutes, Tsukune managed to make it to the Cafeteria doors. The two cream colored double-doors stood before him, its two large circular windows allowing him to peer in as he stood before them. A small sigh escaped his lips as he spotted two familiar hair colors amongst the bland color scheme that colored the majority of the large room. 'I could just not show up... As it is, I will likely cause more problems than I will solve at the moment, due to my anger.' Tsukune thought, somewhat solemely, before he grunted once more to himself, 'An hour won't be enough time to train off this negativity. Best to not miss this appointment, then. This will be lovely...'

Wasting no time, he pushed the doors open and walked into the mob of chattering students and the menagerie of scents that were so diverse, they hardly mixed well together. A small grimace picked at his lips and a minor crease formed between his brows as he navigated his way towards the two girls that were expecting him. As he walked up towards them, he was able to make out mild chatter going on between them- just a bit of small talk that was accompanied with a mild undertone of intensity and an anxious edge.

The pinkette and azure-headed girls had yet to notice that the subject of their assembly there, in the cafeteria, was standing at the end of the table,glancing blankly between them as a lull in their small conversation fell over them. Tsukune stood at the head of the table for, at most, ten seconds before he took a seat, alerting the two girls to his presence, to which they each responding in different ways.

The mild-mannered Moka gave a warm smile and offered a light wave to the brunette teen as he looked over to them, and crossed his gaze over her. She opened her mouth to give a greeting, "Good Afternoon, Tsukune! How has-" Moka suddenly found her greeting interrupted by the woman who sat across from her.

As soon as Tsukune had garnered their attention, Kurumu sat there with a shocked look, almost a 'deer-caught-in-the-headlight kin of look. Despite the fact that she had been told by the object of her affections -as well as the vampire girl- that they'd be willing to give her a chance to prove her sincerity and her worth, she honestly had expected Tsukune to have only been giving empty words to get away from her without some form of a confrontation.

In all honesty, the succubus had convinced herself that he wouldn't be showing up to their little 'meeting' that he and Moka had agreed upon earlier that day. It was a slight surprise when Moka had actively sought her out and sat across from her roughly four minutes earlier., a surprise that had brought both a little anxiety and joy to her. Still, as they talked, she couldn't shake the gnawing feeling in her breast that the taciturnly and indifferent teen who had revealed himself to be her Mate of Fate -unbelieving of the fact, as he was- would not show up.

After all that she had done to him, even _after_ he _warned_ her, it was like an incredibly lucky twist of fate that he was even willing to mildly associate with her, much less give her a chance to redeem herself to both himself and the... vampire girl. If it had been _anyone_ else, the probability that they would have allowed Moka to finish her off then and there, or only stopped her to get their revenge personally, was just short of one-hundred percent. In her mind, it was more than luck that she still breathed, it was fate.

So, she was speechless when, in almost direct contrast to her gut feeling, the man who had obtained her undivided attention sat down before her. She tried to speak, tried to move, but she found she just _couldn't_. Her body and muscles seized and refused to allow her to even breathe. Within her, the shock turned to excitement and immense joy that began to fizz and bubble -much like a mentos in a cola- until she finally broke out of her temporary paralysis. Explosively so.

Tsukune's vision was suddenly robbed of the sight of the pink haired vampire and her off-jade eyes, as well as the white cafeteria. Instead, a soft, yet familiar feeling enveloped his face and on instinct he flashed his sharingan. The dim crimson glow from the eyes vaguely lit the dark crevice that he found himself in and allowed him to see the cream colored cotton vest, just as he was feeling the warm, smothering objects contained within muffle out his hearing.

His eyes closed as a diminutive frown creased over his lips, despite the very, _very_ faint reddening of his cheeks and ears. "Kurumu-san, please release me, now," Tsukune requested from his place between her sweater-clad breasts, not letting his lack of air sound too much in his voice. Apparently, the muffled sounds escaping from his temporary prison were ambiguous to the blue haired succubus as she continued to hug him tight into her bosom, at least until Moka came to his rescue.

The young vampire's face showed visible worry as she reached over and pried the girl's arms from around the back of the brunette teen's head and was just about to pull her off of him when the girl was shoved out of the way via Tsukune's hands which he had brought between the two of them during a brief moment of slack. Kurumu caught herself after two back-peddled steps and sent an annoyed glance Moka's way, "What was that about!"

With mild irritation and a clearly baffled look upon her face, Moka gave a small breath and glanced to make sure that Tsukune was alright before answering, "We're giving you a _chance_ and the first thing you do is... is... _attack_ him?" The off-jade eyed teen was having a truly internal struggle between several emotions as she stared at the large-breasted girl; She was worried for Tsukune, skeptical of his safety with someone that had tried to kill him a mere week earlier; Moka felt rather... amused by the choice of greeting used by the succubus, after the initial suspicious panic had subsided; yet, she also found a painful ache of envy and perhaps jealousy within her heart.

"A-Attack him!" Kurumu asked incredulously, a high note tinging the end of her sentence that was easily interpreted as her thinking the vampire mad. A smile soon grew over the somewhat plump lips of the teenage seductress and a small giggle escaped along with it, "I wasn't _attacking_ him, I gave him a hug- My kind of hug."

Tsukune and Moka both felt an involuntary shiver run up their spine at the facetiously lewd, and yet inanely innocent look that glinted within her violet eyes. The two looked at one another and Moka gave a nervous smile towards her friend, whilst Tsukune's reaction was a lot more...diluted- a mere raising of the eyebrow and quirk of the corner of his lips.

"Either way," Tsukune entered the conversation with his commanding, yet monotone voice, "I would appreciate you holding off on such intimate niceties until I, myself, know I can trust you enough to not half-expect a knife in my back." Kurumu's smile faded some as her head dropped a little. She went to give an apology, when he walked up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Perhaps we should start out with a... less familiar greeting?" He held out his hand and gripped hers in an over-handed shake and allowed the edges of his lips to curl upwards.

Kurumu gave him a smile that didn't quite go as high as her one before, yet it still showed her pleasure that he was there, and still willing to give her a chance. The trio sat down at their table, and Moka took a small sip from her tomato juice can, glancing over at her brunette friend as she did so. Tsukune on the other hand closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then released it. Finally, he looked at the two girls around him and nodded, "So Kurumu, tell me, why is it that you want my forgiveness- other than because I'm your... How did you say it, 'Destined One'?

To his surprise, Kurumu actually took a moment to think over her answer. He had expected the girl to give a lighthearted answer, one that was designed to pull at his heartstrings some, and yet be over with quickly. A way to gain favor without actually having to work for it; something that a good lot of attractive but rather... mentally handicapped -at their own hands- girls that he had previous experience with did. Those pretty girl types tried to major in manipulation, yet they hadn't the intellect to make it into a true strength- something he'd learned from his 'fangirls', and by overhearing some of the same type working their 'charm' on fellow students in school, back in Middle-school.

Kurumu thought hard about her reply; it wouldn't do to simply spout some nonsense; Tsukune wouldn't stand for it and it would more-than-likely set her further back in terms of being forgiven for her transgressions against him and Moka. So, why _was it_ that she wanted to befriend him, besides the pull towards her Mate of Fate?

She thought for several moments on it, and tapped her chin in a fruitless attempt to help her mind rummage through her thoughts. Finally she let out a soft breath and looked into Tsukune's eyes, some disappointment visible in them as well as unbidden apprehension. She nervously smiled at him as best she could, "I... I don't..."

Tsukune blinked, a small frown slipping into place, "Speak up, please, Kurumu-san."

She timidly looked up at him, her head being somewhat downcast as a blush slightly stained her cheeks. She tried again, with a little louder voice, "I don't... I don't know. I feel... connected to you, and I just want to be close to you. I don't know _why_, but I want to become your friend, and... and..." She couldn't continue on; the mixed feelings of disappointed annoyance in herself, and the nervous blush that accompanied the thoughts rushing through her mind made it impossible to do so.

She shut her eyes and took a breath, half expecting to be scolded for her answer and half expecting to be quietly asked to get up and leave the table, that her answer was unsatisfactory and immutable with its lack of integrity. Her normal giddy and happy-go-lucky attitude was sorely absent with the somber feeling that rested in her breast at the thought of being rejected from even associating with her Destined One.

A pregnant silence lingered for many seconds as Tsukune stared and scrutinized the overly-busty young woman, and as said young woman felt the chilling nips of her fears biting at the fringes of her mind, a few mute tremors traveled the length of her spine. Meanwhile, Moka looked between the two, her lip somewhat captured in her mouth and her right hand gripped her rosary in worry, and confusion.

Nearly ten seconds passed before an almost imperceptible nod came from Tsukune's head, and the barest corners of a smile could be seen from behind his steeped fingers that blocked the majority of the view of his lower face from the two girls. Moka saw the movement, and was quite relieved even though she wasn't sure what her introvert friend was going to say. Kurumu, however, did not see the nod and was still waiting an extra five seconds in near-painfully tense silence, when she was startled by Tsukune beginning to speak, and jumped.

"You answered meticulously, I noticed," Tsukune began, his voice just above a whisper and barely climbed higher. His voice held little in the way of emotional cues, or verbal ticks to tell if he was annoyed, pleased, or anything in between, "In spite of your thoughtful musings, you were also unable to give me a direct answer, nor even much of a hint of one."

He closed his eyes and took in a breath, which he held for a scant moment. Moka and Kurumu both looked on, awaiting his answer with differing feelings; Moka felt a little pity for the blue-haired girl, and was of two-minds regarding the brunettes answer.. Though she didn't know him long, at all, she had made conversation with Tsukune as often as he would engage with her and had garnered an insight into his way of speaking. Thus, she felt that he was likely leading up to a positive note, yet he had a way of pulling the curtains over you just when you thought he was out of tricks.

Korono Kurumu, on the other hand, was anxious and growing to dread his final answer more and more as he made little random pauses throughout his assessment of her reasoning. His piercing stare made her fret over herself enough, but with his tenacious speech patterns mixed with the aura the he was currently giving off -that cold indifference, and the uninvited warmth of knowing that someone else knows something that you don't. Not to mention her own fears and trepidation of ruining any chances of her being with her 'Destined One'... Well, it was just plain driving her up a wall. She swore mentally that if she were a cat in a hotel, she'd have jumped through twelve floors and would be clinging onto the roof of the thirteenth.

"If I'm honest, I expected something different from you..." Tsukune resumed, and drummed the tips of his steeped fingers together once, then twice as he peered his chocolate brown eyes into Kurumu's deep Violet-blue pair. "the short and simple of it all, however, is that I'm most..."

'Here it comes...' Kurumu thought anxiously, a bit of fear shooting through her body, as well as a bit of excitement. She, despite herself, was suddenly feeling oddly giddy, even though in less than a second or two, Tsukune would tell her that there was to be no chance of her befriending the two of them, nor getting closer to him.

Tsukune moved his hands out of the way to reveal a very, very tiny smile which quickly fell and was replaced by his usual indifferent features, "... pleased." Two pairs of eyes blinked, their owners nonplussed. The young seductress' head shot up and she blinked owlishly several times, before a tentative smile formed on her lips, and slowly -as his words were digested- began to morph into a truly exultant grin.

She looked at the object of her desire with a blissful gleam in her eyes and asked, "R-really?" To which he nodded, finding that words weren't needed to answer her and secretly enjoying her glee. Without warning, she thrust both hands and arms skyward with her fists clenched. Her body hopped up some with the force as she squealed into the air, a celebratory, "Yahoo!"

The pink haired vampire allowed a bright smile to show as her emerald eyes looked between the gleeful succubus and the as-of-yet-unknown brunette, showing the barest hints of his own contentment through the veil of Stoicism. Her lips tugged tighter and she quickly blinked away a sudden prickling of wetness in her eyes; despite the feeling of mild suspicion that would linger for a while yet towards the girl, it brought a wave of exhilaration and extreme joy to see the somewhat down-trodden girl so pleased, and to see her usually emotionally mute friend break through with a smile. She supposed, that perhaps, this was the feeling one had when true friends were present.

Moka gave a nod to herself, her eyes locking on Kurumu as she continued to wiggle in her seat, her eyes squeezed tight and her arms buzzing about her n excitement that was impossible to contain. 'My friends... Kurumu-chan, and Tsukune... We'll take care of each other, forever.'

Tsukune eyed the young woman as she tried her best to not explode into ribbons and numerous colored streamers and, perhaps, balloons with the insurmountable amount of joy that she was trying to hold in. It was quite the amusing sight to him, and it was no less gratifying to see; knowing that he was remotely responsible for the happiness that boiled within the seductress. He allowed a mirthful laugh that, though muted, expressed his feelings toward the situation.

It wasn't enough to melt his heart into openly displaying enormous quantities of emotions, especially not with an audience of annoying hormone-driven simpletons as he had come to regard the majority of his peers over his time in the academy. But it was just enough that he found himself pondering the possibility of considering the two before him... true friends.

Moka, well, she was well on her way to breaking through his mental shields. It was odd, beyond anyone he had ever met in his life, she had a way of worming her way through his inhibitions and safe-guards. It was... petrifying, if her were to be honest with himself; he hadn't confided in anyone, not even a journal, since his parents had expired untimely. Yet, on more than one occasion in the past week, he'd had a desire to share some of his deeper thoughts with her. 'Perhaps, in time,' Tsukune thought to himself.

His thoughts then switched tracks and focused on the blue-haired bombshell who was currently winding down from her one-man party. She was an unknown factor, and he had no clue as to if this pact with her to allow her a chance to befriend the two of them would play out well, of fail horribly. Yet, this inexplicable feeling -a nagging, really- in the back of his mind made him feel a... need, of sorts, to give her a chance. It was a completely different feel from the intoxicating pacification that had forced him to do her bidding, and it wasn't anything like the silent conversations that the voice and himself had.

Releasing a mildly burdened sigh, he went on to a slightly loftier thought on the subject, namely the fact that Kurumu seemed... sensitive, as it were, to his feelings of approval and rejection regarding her. It was understandable, especially since she seemed adamant in the claim that he was her Destined One, but... The fact that she seemed so worried- as if the future oscillation of the Earth, and it's orbit around the sun- would be jeopardized, pending his reply. It left him feeling both worried, and yet, mildly warm.

Before his smile fell into a mildly vacant expression, he allowed the possible truth that, in time, she may also worm her way into his heart as well. Perhaps not as far as Moka had, or perhaps even deeper than the vampire would likely venture. 'I suppose that the future will be quite an intriguing thing.'

**So, not quite the all inconclusive ending I had wanted it to be, but... I suppose it works; makes room for complications a little later, I s'pose... If I want to go that route. So, I explained what happened some the night of the fight, gave hints, prods and such of Moka and Tsukune's budding friendship, and brought Kurumu into the social mix after a week of downtime. As a curiousity, was that the time-length in the manga, or...? I tried to make it a realistic time, everything considered -don't matter 'bout the manga's length, just curious. **

**I thought It odd that, after half a friggin' year, Mizore just shows up out of the blue, soo... Here's her minor debut. Don't expect too much coming from her this early, though. On a different note, I would like some help... kind of. I mentioned that fightig scenes are my worst, with three-or more-way conversations being next, so if anyone could spare the time, offer me some pointers or advice in a private message? **

**Oh, and for those of you that found it hard to visualize everything in the last chapter, a Dodecahedron is literally the shape of a soccer ball, and as for the interior looks of the place; any of you that have played TES4:Oblivion, just visualize the inside of one of the towers – more or less.**

**I have two more inquiries for my loyal readers before I go; First, how am I doing in regaurds to Kurumu's personality. I personally feel as if I'm slipping at it some, as if I just can't... 'grip' it right, if you will. Get the voice right in my head. Secondly, and this will likely replace the poll I currently have up, so check, but... _Should_ I change this to the crossover section, or would it be better to stay in it's birthplace?**

**I hope I did a fairly good job on this chapter, and that you all enjoyed it. Let me know. Guten Nacht **


	8. After school clubs are a Bitch!

**Sooo... Guess what, readers? My computer went kaboom! So, I had to rewrite this chapter, and I lost the three and a quarter beyond this one. Clearly, I'm pissed. I need to actively remember to create backups... God, this with the job and money shit, not a good combo to have to deal with. By the way - awesome shit, Tech N9ne's 'Last Words'... Although almost all of his music is great. Just getting' the word out.**

**Reviewer responses.**

**Preemptive Apology: Sorry if I'm short, both in attitude and length. Not in a good mood.**

**ManlyMonk: Thanks, I have a habit of just mismatching personality's from time to time, and a lot of the childish joy and naivety fails to show up because of both that fact, and I never exactly _had_ a childhood... jumped right into late-teenage maturity, even without the hormones by the age of six, sooo... yeah, error on my part. Hehe, well I mentioned that he won't be using chakra, but a form of magic... You catch on quick though, counterfeiting ain't counterfeiting if it's not found. In most stories and cases I'd be forced to agree, but as you'll understand as I reveal the 'lay of the land' as it were, they're fairly evenly matched – if they existed in tandem with the monsters.**

**Varyingtastes: Eh, well for now it'll stay right where it is. I might change it if more people are shallow and bored enough to bitch, but for now it'll stay. I'm taking a leaf out of another crossover story - god forbid I could actually remember the name of it – and _they_ will join the newspaper club, yes... but I'm thinking of either having Tsukune join a second club, eventually merging the NP club with another, or doing something else... Big plans, need a path and a trigger to set 'em off, you know?**

**Grimjowx: Aye, this'll be a long one as I'm going to respond a little from each of your reviews that you kindly made, thanks by the way. Yeah, it was darkish, but there's not a huge black cloud that kicks him in the nuts like there usually is, just was a stepping stone as you already know. I know it was a bit sophisticated for most mature kids, but I dampened him down a bit from how I acted at that age – cynical shit that I was. It was that, or totally oblivious, and that... that's not my style. Yeah, but as I've said in other responses, him being charmed that easy was due to him being caught off guard, and that special perfume she wore helped a lot. Haha thanks dude (or chick... yeah.) I think my length has greatly improved considering that my last project which is being reworked, SOA, I considered to be a 'real bitch' in length... Pathetic, looking back. Yeah, decided to take a 'Family Guy' approach and give a small off-shoot of sorts, and thanks for the compliment on Mizore's debut; I just thought that it was stupid – worse than my reason for this Tsukune's failing – that she didn't go to school for what, half the year, after apparently failing previously. She'd have been booted back to 'iceland' before the incident with the coach.**

**Hentai18ancilla: Good question, and in this iteration, I have kept most of the human world consistent with real life, but Japan is elitist and opportunities to thrive are only offered to those of high stations. The reasons for this are fairly obvious if you think about the manga and then governmental corruption. Not going to come right out and say it for those without keen perception, might ruin it for them, y'know? Also, he is _not_ going to be mediocre here in Youkai, he will show his intelligence and such. At the moment though, he's in his shell and is sticking to what he knows, but as many children of abuse who've risen to overcome it or at least become synergistic with the fact, he's a quick adapter. As for low self-esteem, not quite. It was skewered logic mixed with a lack of drive due to cynical views that caused he low grades in the human realm. Very astute, I was and I'm sorry to hear you were as well. As for your review of ch5, I'm a German native and American English is my second language (albeit not by much), and I found it to be rather... contradictory of itself, in a way. Looking between the U.K. Rendition and the North American version, I find the former to be easier. Not sure if it's just something about me, or a justifiable thing. Thank you for the review of ch1, I greatly appreciate it... you know why it was the way it was.**

**Fateion: Thanks, hopefully I can keep up with the originality and the good quality. Not get complacent.**

**Prodigal Priest: Thank you. I don't think I've added any other hints in here either, but I can't be sure. It writes itself most (almost put 'moist', my god.) of the time. I will, and once more, thank you. **

**Guest: Dude, not being rude – quite humorous, actually – but I swear, that sounds like a pick-up line. **

**GaaraKingoftheSand: That's fine, and are they any good? If you care for a Naruto cross, Kenchi614 has one that's pretty decent. Anywhore, Yeah, but I think Kurumu and Ruby have facets that can be seriously explored as they're the most 'flat' of the characters, with secondary fixes going to Mizore and Yukari. As for fight scenes, where do you think I got the experience I have, certainly not from actual fights – No room for any form of martial art, just random chucking of fists. No class with people these days, none. Thanks, I'll look it up, and just in case, who wrote it?**

**Major Wallace: Thanks, soldier.**

**Hypothetical Spiritual Entity: Sooo... We've corresponded a few times, so I'm almost sure that your real, not hypothetical, dude. Haha. At any rate, yeah many people expected that and it shall be explained. It's not a plot-hole, I promise you on my box of fruit-loops.**

**Epicweaver: Thank you, and I'm glad it was believable. Mizore won't be showing up or getting involved much for a while yet, though; that was just a little promo, not a true introduction. Yeah, that is a major issue that will be recurring a few times, so you'll see a bit more of the time-dilation mechanics and such. As for _that_ question, well... There's only one set of sharingan in the world, so... just saying, it's an option.**

**Guest: I currently have no access to internet and copied the reviews down on a notepad, so I'm justified in the following: The fuck does that mean? I feel like I've been insulted, but I'm not certain... In the case that I have, I advise you, in the words of Eric Cartman, to 'Respect mah authoritah!'**

**Thanks dude, take care.**

**Remzal Von Enili: Thanks for the suggestion, I had been thinking about that the other day. It will happen, just not immediately. Besides, there's a lot of time that is left out as blank spots and time-skips. Stuff _could_ be happening there. I'm not so sure about that, I could do something with that, but it won't be for a while and will likely not be wolves if anything. No, the item you mentioned has a few _closer_ ties into the story, namely a person.**

**Pyromania101: I ain't reviewed in awhile, how fucked is it? I'm not sure if she will – she may, I just make sure to name and describe most of my OC's because there's a slim chance that they could be used as a set piece and maybe be promoted to a higher standing than that later. If not, then I'd rather not just have faceless drones patrolling the school – I think it adds a bit of depth, however little. The vampires of this time, yes, but I meant back in the days of Alucard's first reign... Kinda like how people would think highly of, say, a descendant of Abraham Lincoln, despite the fact that they, themselves have done nothing to earn the admiration and respect. Another example would be how all the Sicilian and to a lesser extent, Italian immigrants believe they're badass or intimidate other people because of the mere loose fact that they _could_ be related to some 1850-1950 mafia boss. The vampires of now – useless, petty, and honorless thugs that they are – are profiting off of what their far back ancestors did... Kinda like your 'Noble' thing you mentioned, but not quite. As for Alucard's weakness to modern weaponry, he's not as susceptible as you think. I point you to Devil May Cry 3 – I think, one of 'em anyways – and specifically the chimera things. I'll leave the connection to your imagination.**

**Scott Pike: I'll try to keep these in mind later on, and for the record, Ja, Ich bin Deutsch. Yeah, I think that as a succubus – a being of sex – she would need to be a bit more mature. Free-spirited is fine, but maturity is key. No, no other characters will be appearing except in the dreams and that's not exactly... viable, is it? Actually, one may make an appearance, but not in the way you may think, and certainly not soon – at all.**

**Disclaimer: Go ahead, sue me. You'll get lint, a button or two, and a box of fruit loops. I dare you, spend the $10,000 bucks on a gamble to obtain that. **

Chapter 8: After-school clubs are a bitch.

_He hissed as the pain in his back ached to new heights, and ignored the crimson blood spattering into his eyes from the searing screams of pain that his nerves practically shouted with from somewhere in his scalp. Through the red haze both from the blood and his weakening grasp over his eyes, he could see the towering shadow, even thirty some-odd miles away._

_It took all of his power to not scream as soft hands landed upon his back and he felt the invasive yet warm energy of the medic trying to mend his wounds. He must have had a concussion because he could hear the voice of the medic, a woman, trying to speak to him but it was fruitless, as all he could make out was a warbling echo of sound._

_A shattering scream escaped him as he felt a sharp shove on his back, causing an impossibly painful feeling, sending white-hot embers streaking through his body. Suddenly he realized that up until then, he couldn't feel much of his body. Then the words that the medic had been saying were comprehensible to him; his spine had been severed, broke the skin._

_Softly at first, he began to laugh in a mixture of bitterness and amusement. Had he not been tossed so close to the rear base from that attack, he would've been left paralyzed, with no way to help himself or any allies that managed to come. The Uchiha Empire wouldn't have had any idea that one of their princes was still alive; would've just lopped him in with the thousands of dead that littered the forest and surrounding plains. _

"_Lord Uchiha... Izuna-sama, are you alright?", A man asked, concern and fear well-hidden beneath his militant baritone. He turned upon hearing his name and raised a delicate eyebrow, "Don't be concerned, Motoi-san, thanks to your wife, I am."_

_Relief washed over the man's stony exterior before it was quickly put back in place, though a smirk now lightly adorned his facade,and he wrapped an arm around his wife, the medic who had found and fixed him up. Forcing himself up from the ground, he ignored the couple's protests and sighed as his back popped, "Send word for a massive fire-team, the Senju corspe-walkers are growing in number."_

"_Right away, sir," The woman answered and ran off to the tents in the background. Motoi took a step closer to him, "Where are you going, Izuna-sama?"_

_He looked up at Motoi, a deep frown upon his face as he activated his Mangekyou Sharingan, revealing the reflection of the three thick bar-pillars that congruently rose from his black-encircled red pupils out to the edges of his iris in Motoi's pitch-black eyes. "To the battle-field, a soldier's duty is never done," He muttered and with a pulse of energy from his eyes that enveloped his entire being, he swirled into nothingness._

Tsukune awoke in a cold sweat, his ears and chest burning red with irritation and not the least bit of unventilated heat. Quickly calming himself down through a few breath exercises, the brunette teen looked about his dorm, trying to focus on something to bring him the rest of the way out of the dream-land. His mouth was dry, lips cracked and... He 'hmm'd' when he licked his lips to wet them, 'They're bleeding?'

Confirming this in the mirror after slipping out of bed and mussing his hair, Tsukune let loose an annoyed sigh. It was bad enough that he had to deal with the perpetual sickness that prickled at him every time he awoke from sleep, but now his lips were going to start cracking and bleeding. Great. It was all that he needed, especially when one of his friends was a vampire... Briefly the thought of the pink haired girl kissing him inadvertently to get some of the blood entered his mind, but was crushed quickly under the steel fortress that was Tsukune's psyche.

'No use in having those thoughts,' Tsukune thought monotonously as he looked out of the sash window directly to the left of his bed, casting his chocolate gaze across the shadowed academy grounds. The time on his clock displayed that it was merely an irksome four-thirty in the morning. Yet he simply couldn't find it in himself to lie back down, he wasn't entirely tired and certainly didn't want to have to deal with those... weird dreams.

The thought of the dreams he had every once in a while caused a shiver to travel the length of his spine, leaving a trail of goose-bumps in it's wake. It wasn't so much that they felt like memories, or that he could actually recall them _like_ memories after having them. No, it was actually that when initially having the dream, he felt everything... He hoped that he never had to experience having his back broken again, especially not if he had to be awake to get it replaced – grateful, or not.

'So, the original people who were hosts to these eyes, they numbered great and had an empire. Begs the question: what the hell happened?' Tsukune pondered the unanswered question, trying to take his mind off of the feeling of a severed spine. Turning away from the pitch-black scenery out beyond the window, he walked into the kitchenette and cut on the lights, briefly squinting as the blaring lights stung his eyes.

Pulling a cup out of the small cupboard beside the sink, he poured himself a glass of water and began to sip on it, sitting on one of the stools that sat on the inside of the protruding counter-top that separated the kitchen from the living area. His thoughts, having no direct source to focus on, rummaged through the last few days. He'd been avoiding Kurumu, and to a lesser extent, Moka after the day in the cafeteria.

It wasn't that he didn't enjoy their company -when they kept it civil- or that he didn't secretly find some of their quirks and antics amusing. His issue was primarily an odd thing that he had found whilst meditating that night; he had been perturbed by the seamless way that he simply up and accepted Kurumu the way that he did. It was so seamless that he hadn't even noticed it until his immersion within his psyche.

Such a thing befuddled and greatly concerned the teenager, especially because he had every intention of being aloof and simply keeping her at arm's length until she had proven herself redeemable. At first he thought it to be a charm, but upon delving deep within himself until the metaphysical manifestation of his inner world formed around him, he found that there were no such traces, nor even the familiar... -feeling, or taste, perhaps energy- signature of her within his mind.

Without any evidence of her tampering with him and causing his strange behavior, he felt naked. He _knew_ himself like the back of his hand – more so than anyone else could even fancy thought towards knowing him – which brought forth the question of what the hell was wrong with him? The next day, he found himself allowing her without much resistance to pull his arm between her breasts and found that he was much more susceptible to emotions around her. The loss of his fortress of solitude, which kept everything that he was – his essence - safely locked within; letting only what he wanted others to know about him out, was a major blow to him.

That night he had decided to stay as far away from Kurumu as he could be, inadvertently that meant that Moka was kept at arm's length at the closest due to her new sister-hood like bond with her first female friend. Tsukune understood, and didn't hold it against the innocent vampire, instead telling her that he was having personal issues and would rather be alone and not to worry too much – in his own way, of course.

Moka hadn't so much as batted an eye after he had reassured her that he was fine and that the problem and trial he was having didn't lie with her. Though he could see the longing to hang out with him, the pink haired girl was content to spend time with the succubus and talk on subjects that he, no matter how much or little he tried and cared, would likely not understand.

The classes crept by slowly, with but the most stimulating of facts simply washing by him, not interesting him much. The thought of learning things which he could easily exceed with what he had picked up from his reading of books over the past few years was not of the highest priority. This, however, didn't mean that he explicitly slacked in his work, rather he unleashed a little of his talent; granting him a decent score on all his assignments, whilst not forcing him into any sort of spotlight beyond the rare look of curiosity and fairly subdued veneration.

Gym class was not enjoyable since the incident at dodge-ball, and coincidentally the girl whom he had defended had only attended the class twice and both times remained silent beyond anything that he had thought a living being would be able to pull off. The second time he had seen her – two days prior – she had quickly vanished from the class when a small rout erupted from some of his peers, bringing Katsubo over to the area. There had been hide nor hair of the purple-haired girl since then.

The Orange haired man continued to skulk around his class and had yet to pass another unfair and severely biased judgment, yet every time his forlornly blue eyes would pass over Tsukune, they would harden and a flash of some emotion would pass through them. Would it that he only could see into the intricacies of the man's mind; find out what he thought, what he was planning – as that man clearly had something falling into shape.

Throughout the past two weeks, the melodramatic happenings around the school which had plagued his first two weeks had died off considerably. 'Or perhaps I've just gotten used to everything odd happening?' Tsukune wryly thought, his lips lifting some as he pulled the cup full of water way from them and swallowed. Yet, the itching at the base of his neck and a strange sting in his eyes had started besetting him roughly three nights earlier, setting him on edge. For what, though? He didn't know.

Another sip of water, another breath of air, and the click of the analog clock above the dorm door marked another second passing by. He let out a beleaguered sigh and pushed his fingers into his lids, massaging his aching eyes. Hardly a month in the school, and he was stressed out beyond what he had felt in his first month at school in the Human Realm. It annoyed him, truly pricked him in the side with a lit cigarette because he _knew_ it shouldn't bother him nearly as much as it was.

A snort escaped him despite his efforts, which he vocalized his thoughts for thereafter, "I'd probably stop fretting if I could figure out and fix whatever is hindering my inhibitions." Tsukune blinked, 'Fuck... If only I knew what the hell she _did_ to me...'

Moka wasn't a person who would share his personal – or even passive – information with anyone for any reason without his permission. That much he had deduced from his time with the gentle vampire. That wasn't saying it couldn't be enticed, but she wouldn't just run her mouth about it. He had that much he could trust about her, not that he placed his trust _in _ her, yet.

This Korono Kurumu, on the other hand, well... She was about as subtle as a stampede of elephants, about as quiet as a car alarm in the twilight hours, and about as secretive as a tell-all autobiography. Sure, she had the capacity for concealing the truth and for keeping personal information close to her heart, but it fell under the same concept as him with his trust; it could be put to use and placed somewhere safe, but it wasn't.

This simple truth was something that froze Tsukune's crimson life-blood in his veins, and made his reality and the way he conducted his psyche potentially moot. It was by some stroke of pure, unadulterated luck that she hadn't gotten a desire to ask about him beyond just surface-scraping questions, such as his favorite foods and if he had played this, or had seen that. A shudder trembled down himself once again as he imagined the implications of the seductress being privy to his inner-most secrets and plans... If she uttered a word about a tenth of what he had locked away, he would likely be hunted down.

Ten minutes of simply staring blankly at the counter whilst thinking aimlessly, trying to run several facts and figures with no particular motive passed quickly. With a weary breath of resignation, Tsukune glanced around the room, a half-lidded gaze taking everything in, yet he found nothing that caught his attention or demanded any immediate thought. It was going to be a long morning.

Sometime later, Tsukune found himself walking towards school – a bit earlier than normal but that was likely attributed to the utter lack of stimulation in and around his dorm. His eyes trailed around, examining every little detail of his surroundings, the mahogany glean of his eyes barely perceptible as he quickly switched between his sharingan and his base eyes. The hair on the back of his neck prickled as a physical indication of the eyes that seemed keen on staring him down from some unknown place.

The students that passed him by were given little attention, and the few that bumped into him due to their own distractions and thereby impaired perceptions received little more than grunts of placation. Still, the look on the withdrawn teen's face – his impassive line as a mouth, the knit together brows and the glaring eyes – made them all the more comfortable with accepting his slightly rude actions in lieu of not inciting his wrath.

It didn't take him as long as usual to make his way through the throngs of fellow students who continued to make way for him, giving a wide berth for which he could pass them by without incident. Yet this progress was not made in good standing, for even the casual caws of the crows that flew through the now pink sky were absent, and that feeling of someone spying on him continued to grow stronger the closer he got to the entrance of Youkai Academy.

He paid little attention to the enlarging steeple that adorned - and marked - the entrance to the school for the supernatural entities of myth and lore, instead his mind stayed behind, focusing on the stomach-lurching issue that perplexed him above all others, and specifically how he was going to solve it.

Tsukune could easily just phase the two girls out of his life; they had already gained a bond -however small- that would allow them to hold a friendship between them, even without his presence. They'd miss him at first and if he were honest with himself, he would probably miss them as well. Yet, he didn't _need_ the camaraderie of anyone in his life to survive... It was amusing, and took some stress off, but his mild social awkwardness and reserved nature made it more of an obstacle than anything quite as enjoyable as the two girls made it seem.

Barring that, there was also the option of continuing to ignore the succubus, except he would exacerbate it – going as far as to alienate the girl by ignoring her very existence right before her eyes. It wouldn't be too hard; it was something he did to most of the world as a whole on a daily basis – well, before he arrived at Youkai Academy, though it had only been toned down.

Yet for whatever reason, that was the least appealing of all options he had come up with, and so was placed in the rear of his mind – a last resort. Still, he had to do something. If he didn't, then it was likely just a roll of the dice until such a time happened that she asked a question that was deeper than the loose questions of material fondness.

A weight suddenly slammed into his back and panic set in, prickling at his neck and sternum before it was swallowed moments later into an eternal abyss where a calm, calculative hatred – a desire to bend, warp, tear and destroy to a degree that was nigh-impossible to imagine, and at such a sluggish speed that one would go mad many times over. This madness was washed away by two things; one being the immense pain that surged through his eyes, and the second being the calming scent of mineral oil, jasmines and a very light undertone of what he knew to be sweet-pea.

The negativity drained away until just the barest hint remained in his psyche, enough to weight his mind down with the burdening thoughts of Kurumu, but it no longer held the fatigue as it had moments ago. Liberated from his thoughts, Tsukune let a silent sigh loose as the barest hint of a smile warped the edges of his mouth, "Good morning, Moka-san."

"Mornin' Tsukune-kun! I finally got to you before school; I've missed you." Moka greeted him with her usual abundance of energy, yet ended with it subdued, while somehow carrying with it a bit more feeling. It was strange – perhaps it was the fact that someone actually admitted to missing his presence?

Brushing off the warmth that burned in his chest, Tsukune nodded his head in a silent acknowledgment of her reciprocation and gently unclasped her hands from around his neck, then turned, "It's not as if I've been out of contact long. Still, your dearth was noticed."

Moka's brows knitted for a moment before she brightened; her cheeks now tinged with a healthy pink as she looked away, happy that Tsukune had actually missed her – even if he was so cool in saying it. She smiled demurely and peeked up at him finally, her off-jade eyes catching a gaze at his own chocolate pair as he looked at her - ever impassive as always, yet somehow conveying a caring warmth.

"What have you and Kurumu been doing after school lets out?" Tsukune questions, lightly arching an eyebrow and loosened his stance some. He knew that it really wasn't any of his business what the pair did, especially with his choice to distance himself; such rules of social etiquette weren't of affect in this case, though. It was small, but there existed a chance that Kurumu may have used her enormous mouth and told Moka what she had inflicted upon him.

Moka tilted her head to the side and thought, placing her index finger lightly on her bottom lip. She hummed a low melody until she began speaking, "Kurumu-chan and I have just been getting to know each other; nothing much other than that. Surprisingly, she and I have quite a bit in common, actually."

Chocolate eyes flicked back onto the jade pair for scarcely a second, a hint of surprise or veiled curiosity within them. Tsukune began to walk away, yet slowly as if to beckon Moka to walk with him. Once she picked up the hint and caught up with him, he glanced at her from his peripheral, "So you two get along well, then. What do you two have in common?"

It was simply small talk to entice any possible information out of the pink-haired beauty, and perhaps to a somewhat smaller extent he truly wanted to know. The fact that he was trying to distance himself from her was also quite a contributing factor to his overall coolness when dealing with her – not that it was too different than his usual amount.

Tsukune reached forwards and pulled the entrance door open and absentmindedly held it open until Moka passed by him, not noticing his actions, nor the recurrence of the pink tinge to her cheeks. The two began to once more walk in tandem when Moka replied to his question, "She and I both enjoy baked sweets, and in particular oatmeal and white-chocolate macadamia cookies."

Placing that particular bit of information in the back of his mind, Tsukune nodded his head and listened on. "Kurumu-chan and I also happen to like painting, although I think I like it a little more than she does. Ano, there's a few things that she asked me not to tell – she said that if anyone was going to know, she'd like to be the one to let them know."

His eyes narrowed insignificantly as he mentally cursed. He should have thought that she would have requested Moka keep some of what she said between them – even if it was something important. 'I would think that Moka would tell me if it were something that involved me in some form, though. Especially if it seemed like something that could endanger me.'

The pair passed the front courtyard that held the thresholds of two hallways, a spiral staircase to the second level that lay above, and had the main hallway that ran through the center of the school which led to the cafeteria. As they reached the third branching hall, they both turned on well-rehearsed memory as they lightly chatted about everything and nothing.

At the last minute, Tsukune's eyes narrowed as his senses went wild; his hair all but standing on end and an uncanny feeling of de-ja vu. He turned his head down and flashed his sharingan quickly, confirming what his senses were telling him. He quickly rounded on Moka and placed a hand on her shoulder, his mouth a thin line and his eyes blank – reserved, "It was good talking with you, Moka. Have a good day."

Perplexed by his sudden, yet outwardly mild change of demeanor, Moka attempted to keep him; to question him about his sudden change, but he was gone – hidden by the passing crowds of students. Her once-happy and now confused expression faltered to that of worry and dejection as she mumbled, "You too, Tsukune..."

Such dejection didn't have a chance to truly invade her completely as moments later, the kind vampire was captured in warm and tight embrace by her newest friend, "Heya Moka-chan! What's up?"

Kurumu's abrupt embrace snapped the pink-haired girl from her funk some, allowing her to smile lightly at her friend and return the hug, though not nearly as enthused. Despite the sudden shot of happiness and surprise, Moka still couldn't shake the pit of disappointment that welled in her heart; she'd been so happy to catch Tsukune after nearly three days of not seeing him at all – even in passing! Then, he simply waltzes off without an explanation. A mirthful smile twitched at the corner of her mouth, 'Just like him, to do something like that.'

Her musing was put to an end when the violet-blue eyes of the succubus was seen staring squarely into her own pair, although her line-of-sight was somewhat marred by the viscous rocking courtesy of aforementioned girl gripping her shoulders, "Moka-chan? C'mon, return to the land of the living; sleepy-time is over now. There you are, now what's up, huh?"

Moka's widened eyes regarded her bluenette friend with a mix of bewilderment and mild annoyance, though the latter faded quickly, "A-ano, it's nothing; I was just thinking about Tsukune..."

Such a hot-button topic instantly had the succubus' eyes wide, and her mouth running a hundred-miles a minute as she hung off of her pink-haired friend whilst bouncing around, "Tsukune-kun? I haven't seen him around lately; my Destined One hasn't been around me in so long; it's like he's avoiding me – avoiding my love for him. I've been so worried about him – I just want to give him a big, tight hug!"

The jabbering of words about her Destined One would have continued to flow from the pink lips of the girl, had Moka not sighed wistfully and interrupted her, "I saw him today, I found him just outside of the academy's entrance."

zipping her mouth tight for just a quarter of a second a she stared incredulously at the young vampire girl, Kurumu was suddenly filled to the point of bursting with a new feeling – one of immense curiosity and excitement, "You did!? How is he doing, and where has he _been_?"

Moka shrugged, her lips pursing into a tiny thoughtful frown. "Honestly? He seems a little troubled, and it has gotten him down some, I think. We talked a little, mainly about school these past weeks, but he didn't let on about anything – it was kind of his... aura, I suppose?" She tried, and despite the fact that the word didn't fit, she couldn't think of a fitting replacement.

She blinked and found Kurumu staring at her in scrutiny, "He seemed more troubled than he _already_ does?"

Receiving a nod in response, the violet-eyed girl's face fell some as worry became etched onto visage, "I... I wonder what's troubling him – if I could fix it?"

Though her face soured some at the flagrant omission of herself in the pondering of helping Tsukune, she brushed it off quickly upon remembering just who she was dealing with – that Kurumu saw only herself, at this moment of worry and stress, as the only person who could possibly allay his problems. It wasn't that the blue-haired girl was being obstinately rude, or truly meant to ignore and dismiss her from the equation, she was just saying what she thought right at the moment, no harm intended.

Still, many have said and done things without the intent of offense or emotional wounds being the outcome, but those wishes never stopped such things from happening. It was much the same in this case, and while Moka wasn't angry with her friend, it nevertheless stung her in her heart to think that even under, however erroneous and/or overstated, duress from her 'Destined One's' actions -or lack thereof – Moka wasn't also included as someone whom could assist in his betterment.

"Maybe," Moka paused as she looked away from the succubus beside her. She wished she could summon the strength to comment on the minor slip of her friend; to ask her what made her so special as to be the only one to help him. Yet she couldn't muster up the grit, partially because she felt that it wasn't her place – that Kurumu was merely speaking from her heart; a heart that was madly in love, for whatever reason, not that Moka couldn't guess, with Tsukune even with his obvious issues. Additionally, she felt that, should she bring it up, it would only serve to spill what little blood their budding friendship had.

So she stayed silent about it, ignoring the pangs as best as she could whilst trying to hold back her struggling emotions and thoughts from showing. This struggle was interrupted and completely shut-down the small inner-skirmish when she was brought to reality, and effectively scared half to death due to her temporarily forgetting where she was, when her friend spoke, "What do you mean – 'Maybe'? Are you alright, Moka-chan?"

"Hu-! A-ano, oh... yes, don't worry about it. I was just caught up in thought. You were saying?" Moka scrambled out of the embarrassment of the situation and quickly shifted it back to the conversation, asking Kurumu to reiterate whatever she was asking. She took a long, deep breathe to calm herself and help stave off the blush as the buxom girl asked her question.

"Oh, I didn't realize I had said anything – I was just thinking." This was her answer to the Succubus' second utterance of her question. It clearly wasn't the truth, but she didn't want to admit to the girl that she was a tad bitter and had did all she could do to express her feelings; a petty jibe at the girl's abilities.

A nod of understanding – despite that understanding being based on a lie – followed and Kurumu grabbed Moka's wrist and began to drag her through the halls to their first class of the day, "Hey Moka – what _do_ you think could be bothering Tsukune-kun? You knew him longer than me; maybe he said something?"

Somewhat annoyed at being suddenly carted along by the blue-haired girl, the meek pink haired vampire let out a stressed sigh as an answer whilst she lightly thought over all of their interactions, and despite it all she realized that, "I... I don't think he's ever told me much about him – as far as things that might bother him, or anything goes. He's always been a bit distant, but... I really have no idea."

A moan of disappointment was made by the girl dragging her through the halls teeming with their peers and upperclassmen, weaving around those that they could, despite the drooling mouths, widened eyes and twitchy hands that threatened a stray grope – all of which the Succubus surprisingly ignored, though Moka did note the shimmering of her violet iris. Filing that anomaly away just in case it proved to be important, she listened as the girl replied, "Damn, that sucks. Too bad we can't just corner him and ask – I mean, we're his friends, you'd think that he would open up a _little_."

She didn't voice anything beyond a light sound of agreement, because she couldn't find any words. She _knew_ what Kurumu said was true – to some extent, and to tell the truth, she had been burning to ask him questions; it was only reasonable to find out about your friends. Yet for some inexplicable reason Moka found herself containing a small, white-hot bubble of anger, and a need to defend her friend from -essentially- the truth. It didn't make any sense to the young kindhearted vampire, and it unsettled her to feel such a strong thing.

Meanwhile, a few hours later found Tsukune sighing as he made his way from English – Daisuke Maki's class – towards his homeroom at the behest of the intercom, or more specifically, the Headmaster. The dark and smooth voice of the headmaster echoed out of the speakers with a slight gravelly quality marring his voice due to the speaker's apparent age. He closed his eyes and maneuvered through the students who, whilst not giving as much as earlier, were still allowing him a pathway – at least those that weren't cocky or fixin' for a fight. He paid them no mind, for now, as he thought back to the class.

_Tsukune sat at his desk, an overwhelming air of negativity hung over him, pressing onto his shoulders like that of a titanium building ingot resting atop him. His lips parted to let loose a breathe that held just a small portion of this stress as he toned out the over-amplified antics of Daisuke 'Awesome!' Maki, less he jump up and strangle the life out of the flippant and hyperactive man._

_Turning his attentions from the man whom held all of his ire, Tsukune found himself thinking about his predicament. It didn't make sense to him as to why he was so bothered about breaking ties with the girls – Moka, and Kurumu; it was as if his very being shouted out against it in protest, as if to do so would be to go against nature itself. He grit his teeth subconsciously and tuned his baleful gaze to the desk which his elbows rested._

_He wondered if it had to do with the atmosphere, perhaps the fact that they were within a demonic barrier and that some of the properties had an adverse affect on his human mind. Mayhaps it was the fault of that blue-headed woman – perhaps she had placed some sort of spell which he couldn't – or hadn't learned to – detect upon him. A light snort escaped his nostrils as he pressed his lips into a thin line, '_These problems wouldn't plague me in the human world; I'd simply strike them from memory and be done with it... Damn this place.'

_An itching for his attention began to burn in his head, but he was so wrapped up in his thoughts that the call from his own senses didn't reach him. It wasn't until a hand landed on his desk with a loud smack, that Tsukune casually glanced upward and found the annoyed eyes of the frantic teacher baring down on him, "So you've decided to join us today, Aono-san? That's awesome!"_

_Though his face belayed no annoyance or any emotion really, hidden from view from most everyone, Tsukune's hand pulled into a fist as Daisuke droned his disappointed and 'dangerous' words, even managing to make an exclamation seem lethargic. He was so close – all he had to do was reach out and snap a punch into the man's voice box, then choke the mute man to death... It'd be so easy, but would present too many problems. Resigning to keep himself out of the public eyes, and instead suffer, he let the man continue on, "Now that your with us, you can read pages 365-368 aloud, since you were too busy elsewhere to answer my question."_

_The teen stared at the man with dead eyes, insults and promises of pain all but being threatened in the chocolate orbs glaring into the teacher's coal pair. Neither of the two moved, their eyes' didn't even twitch during the unnerving staring match. The students around them became little more than a wispy echo that hissed at them. A bead of sweat appeared on Daisuke's brow and from the strained bobbing of his adam's apple, Tsukune could tell he was working up some words to spew at him._

_The standoff between the cool, hunched over brunette teen, and his overbearing, frenetic teacher would have continued until the man grew a pair and broke from the not-spell that Tsukune's vacant glower had over him, or until Tsukune grew tired of the nervous wreck that the man was slowly becoming and either left the class of beat the man to his last breath. Luckily, neither happened because two minutes into the match, the intercom came to life with all the subtlety of a screeching locomotive wreck tumbling and hurling towards oneself._

_The hissing of the static soon gave way to horribly rendered vocals, "__**Good afternoon, students... This last month has been eventful, and I trust that it has been... an experience not to be forgotten. This announcement is to let you all know that your classes shall end early, and that you are all to report to your respective homeroom. There, an announcement will be made that affects you **_**all**_**... Do not skip out; it would be very detrimental to do so..."**_

_With an evil chuckle that would later become known as the Headmaster's vocal signature, the intercom shut off with a nearly inaudible beep. The class was eerily silent, so much so that it would likely be possible to hear a hair drop onto the linoleum floor. Tension in the air was palpable and thick, actually weighing down some of those within the classroom as everyone looked around confused and nervous, save for two sets of eyes that stayed glued on one another a few seconds longer until Tsukune blinked and looked away, "I believe you're needed to release this class Daisuke-sensei."_

_Daisuke Maki did all he could not to visually recoil as he was released from whatever force held him into place. Despite how much he wanted to call the young man after class and have words with him for his lack of attention, he knew it would be somewhat unfounded; despite Aono Tsukune's lack of class participation – or even the desire to pay the least bit of attention – his grades had begun to raise from the straight 3's to all fours and two days ago he turned it some work which received a five. It baffled him how the brunette was doing so good without listening to a damn thing during class, but he'd try not to mess with whatever worked... still, it didn't stop him from being annoyed._

_After reaffirming his composure and walking to the front of class,Daisuke cast his coal gaze across all fo the students in his class and smiled as he took a deep breath, "Well, this was an awesome class, wasn't it!? Too bad it was cut short, but I bet you'll like what's in store! So, without further adieu, have an awesome day!"_

So here he was, standing before Nekonome-sensie's classroom, staring intently at the creme colored door with the brass handle. He wondered what the purpose of being called away from class would be, not that he wasn't thrilled to be out of that imbecile's classroom. 'Whatever the reason,' Tsukune thought to himself as he reached the handle and turned it, 'I can't help but feel as if this entire thing will be little more than a failure.'

After taking his seat whilst effectively ignoring the other students that babbled on incessantly, Tsukune stared ahead as he awaited Nekonome to stop fiddling with whatever it was that had her attention behind her desk at the moment. While he waited, he sifted through his memories and the feeling of foreboding that seemed to linger overhead like that of an anvil held aloft by fishing wire.

Thus far the few times that he had gotten a feeling similar to this, it never failed to disappoint. Either Saizou attacked, Kurumu tried to eliminate him, or a branch would nearly fall on his head. Sometimes, he would even feel inexplicable eyes that, for whatever reason, followed him with a malevolent intent.

After nearly five minutes of hearing a strange racket happening between Nekonome and the desk she was bent under, she suddenly popped up with a cheery smile upon her face, "Good Afternoon everyone! Now I know you're all very excited to be out of class, but there's a very important reason for this, nya."

Despite the fact that she finished her opening statement with a contented sigh that sounded almost identical to a cat relaxing, no-one paid it much mind, deciding that hearing what had them out of class and gathered up like they were was more important. She squinted her eyes with a smile and pranced over to the chalkboard and grabbed the chalk with a flourish, "As you're all aware by now, since I've been saying it every day, Youkai Academy is a place to help all of you young monsters adapt and hide amongst the humans that rule the Earth. To help with that, everyone that is enrolled here must join an after-school club!"

Several pairs of eyes simply stared at her while a few more students voiced their disagreements. One such shot up out of her chair and held her arms out, "Why do we need to join a club!? I'm tired by the end of school as it is, and besides, we'll already have enough experience, won't we?"

Nekonome's face contorted into a slightly worried expression, though the contours of her squinted eyes pointed at her being annoyed or angry, possibly at being interrupted. Without a word, she walked up to the girl and mewled somberly, "Maybe you can bring it up to your club's leader - they can make exceptions for you. Next time, though...," Shizuka stopped and suddenly her tail popped out from under the ruby colored miniskirt as her hair somehow spiked up in every direction and hissed, "Don't interrupt me!"

Instantly her mood changed back to her calm and cheery self as she pranced back to the board, humming lightly to herself until she reached her destination. As she turned back to the class, apparently oblivious to the looks of shock and fear that were plastered on half the class' faces, she continued on, "Not only will joining a club help you blend in and learn further how to function with the humans, but there are quite good benefits for joining one!"

Tsukune's eyes shifted over to her, but he didn't make any move to ask her to clarify; it was abundantly clear that she would continue on. Unfortunately, some of his peers lacked that cognitive bridge, and so spoke up, "What kind of benefits? Like extra credit, or something?"

Nekonome smiled and cocked her head to the side, her ear tufts twitching, "Not quite, Oniri-san. By joining a club, you'll get to experience several human jobs and activities that will help build your skills. Not only that, but when you enter into the human world, the club that you've joined will qualify as previous work experience, so you'll have a head-start on most humans that get out of school."

This got Tukune's attention. If joining a meager club during the school would allow for him to further his life once he got out without him having to really do anything extra, he was definitely on-board. Having previous job experience _and_ getting a diploma? That was far more than he had expected to get.

Sitting up and actively paying more attention, Tsukune listened as Nekonome-sensie went on about the benefits of joining the clubs. The sandy-blonde haired teacher mewled happily as she went on, "Also, the club activities will be examined by the Headmaster himself, and if the activities taking place in them help the members, or even better - the school as a whole, then that semester's 'grade' will be added as a college credit."

"Also, I know some of you are completely ignorant of the human world," She explained with her typical smile and adjusted her glasses as she went about drawing small diagram of boxes; each bigger than the last. Finally she spun to face the rest of the class with her baton poised over the first box, "In Human society, most humans are educated by a third party - much like how you all are right now. There are many different levels of schooling for all of the regions, but in Japan, where most monsters originally integrate, there is Primary School, High-School, and then College."

She went on to explain the reason that humans were expected to go to College, and sometimes continue to frequent the institutes their entire life. It wasn't too in-depth a description of the school-systems from his home-realm, but Tsukune knew that the information -while not blowing any minds- was likely surprising to a few of the monsters sitting around him.

It didn't take much longer than that for the intercom system to squeak and rumble, announcing it's activation to everyone within a hundred yards. Seconds later, the Headmaster's tell-tale voice all but slithered out of the speaker's and into the students' ears, "**By now you've been enlightened as to the club activities you will be taking part in. As before, once this announcement is finished you will be excused to your dorms – get prepared to find a club. You will have this entire day to find one to join; light will shine until curfew is enacted. After today, you will have a week after each day's classes to find one... If you cannot find one, **_**one will be assigned to you**_**. Dismissed."**

"Okay, you heard the big man; go get ready! Remember to check out all kinds of clubs, and come see me – I'm the Adviser for the Newspaper Club!" With such explicit and shameless advertising done, she mewled and stood to the side of the door, waving all of the students off as they left.

Tsukune paid no mind to any of the students as he passed by them, weaving and shifting his way through the slow moving mass of bodies. He cared not for the decorations being set up, nor the wondrous atmosphere that filled the air by his peers; he could have his wonder when he came back through to find a club, right now he was solely concerned with getting to the dormitories.

Twenty minutes later found Tsukune wearing a fresh set of the Academy's uniform, though casually worn: the blazer was worn loosely, with his left sleeve completely limp save for the shoulder, where his elbow apparently rested as his hand rested against his chest, barely peaking from behind the blazer – as if it were wounded. The white button up dress-shirt had the top three buttons undone, allowing the neckline of his black wife-beater to just barely show. The tie was loosened up and hung somewhat loosely around his collar, though other than that deviation it looked as it should – that went for the rest of his wardrobe.

He was on his way back towards the school to finally get a look at all of the clubs, something he was now somewhat eager to involve himself in; the perks were simply to great to ignore. Despite his relaxed guise, Tsukune was anything but; that feeling of eyes watching his every move, as if a predator were stalking him, waiting to make a kill on an equally dangerous meal was back. It always appeared when he couldn't risk flashing his sharingan to get a hint as to where this bastard/bitch, and/or thing was. It infuriated him to no end.

Trying his best to ignore the utter desire for his death by some unknown factor, the brunette teen continued his trek to the massive school where he began to see the first emerging signs of the many, many clubs that had been set up for recruitment. Deciding to go around the school's proper, he quickly made a left and trekked through the well-cut grass and the occasional tree that stood near the school, a deceased sentry of times perhaps better.

As he approached the wall perforated by a series of archways that lead into the main courtyard, the sounds of excitable students - both his peers and upperclassmen - clamoring about as they checked out various clubs became abundantly clear and only got louder. Making the turn and crossing under one of the large archways brought the mental picture he had into fruition: Nearly three-hundred students were crammed into the courtyard as they moved about, looking at the different booths that ranged from a simple sign with a few people gathered under it, to full-fledged activity tables with an itinerary of their projected activities over the year, and in some cases, a sample activity to show those interested a snippet of what they'd be signing up for.

He could easily make out twelve clubs that were set up out here, and those were the more extravagant ones; he knew that there were likely equal-to-double that in simple set-ups. The Yukari Sendo Appreciation club was the most prominent, displaying poster-boards up to ten-feet tall with imposed pictures of a young girl in slightly varying states of dress, though almost consistently in a witch's hat with a maroon mantle-coat. The sight was odd, but not too out of the ordinary until the words spoken began to register, "-most brilliant little girl, wonder if she's versed in the more...physical workings of life? Hehe.", "-flat-chested and so cocky; I love it!", "-onder if she'd tutor me, I know a subject or two we could work on."

He could feel heat broiling up within his chest, the anger over their blatant perverse desires for this young girls body tore the scab off of the memory of his first kill; his attack on Isshin and the prevention of what had been impending. Eyes narrowed, nostrils slightly flared, and free hand clenched into a fist, Tsukune sped past the sect of possible child-molesters in training before he broke down and slaughtered every last one of them with his two bare hands.

Tsukune pressed his way through the mob of fools that had pretty much no sense of self as they struggled to run from place to place until he reached the double doors that led to the second-half of the main building, or as he called it, 'Artistic Wing'. This side of the school was devoted to those classes that one needed a certain knack to join; basic art, sculpting, band, computer sciences, and the like. As he walked down corridor however, he noted that the clubs could apparently set up anywhere, as some weren't related to anything that this hall unofficially stood for.

Many clubs had set up just outside the band-room, including one which he assumed was their attempt at a Glee club. The title was indistinguishable to him which he assumed was because it was written in a monster's native language, though he couldn't be sure. Passing that by without a second look, Tsukune glanced at another door that led down a covered walk-way which then led to the gymnasium nearly two-hundred feet away.

He was just pushing the door open when the second-to-last thing he wanted happened, "Tsuuukune~!" The excited call of his name was quickly muted at the same time as a weight attached itself to his side in the form of Moka, who buried her head into his neck as she hugged him. His eyes widened before he shrugged her off of him and quickly swirled to face her with a serious face set in stone, contrasting her obviously confused look, "W-what is it, Tsukune?"

Brown eyes stared intently at her while his face belayed no emotion, until the thin firm line his lips were set in turned down slightly into a frown, "I felt your fangs on my neck; _never_ bite me without asking and even then, _only_ if I give you permission to do so."

Shocked and abashed, Moka visibly recoiled some and took a step back, her jade eyes showing visible worry and a little bit of pain, clearly not expecting Tsukune to have reacted quite the way he did. A great warmth from her chest, next to her heart and behind her sternum began to pulsate, filling her with a queasiness that rapidly dissipated along with the heat, leaving her thoroughly confused – more so than before.

"I-I'm sorry! Tsukune, m-may I have a drink?" The question would have caught Tsukune off-guard had he not been paying express attention to her seconds ago when the red jewel in the center of her rosary suddenly lit up and glowed furiously. He merely stared at the jewel, not noticing how the pink haired vampire's cheeks flushed as she thought him to be staring at her chest. Finally, he raised his eyes to her own and gave a curt shake of his head, "No, you're not in need of it currently."

The dejection slowly crept over her face as a little bit of a shimmer began to form at her lower eyelid – tears. Narrowing his chocolate eyes just a bit due to the unnecessary sadness being shown, Tsukune let loose a sigh as he gripped the young vampire's shoulder comfortingly, "You are a vampire – whether you like it all, some, or detest it to your core, you are – I don't expect you to feed on everyone, however If I consistently feed your hunger at every turn, you will grow dependent – weak. I don't want any of my allies or...friends to have such an exploitable weakness. Understand?"

Moka managed a smile as she wiped the growing tears from her eyes and sniffled as she nodded. To this, his lips turned upward in a barely perceptible smile, "Good. You won't go your entire life without my blood, but it will not be a handout either. Now, let's go; we're in need of a club... unless you've found one?"

Her mood suddenly recovered completely as she smiled brightly, then shook her head negatively, "Nope! I thought both of us could look for one – so far they've all seemed..."

"Off?" Tsukune finished for her, knowing exactly what she meant as the image of that little girl's stalker club came to mind, inciting a rush of anger to burn through his veins before he calmed it. She nodded her head as she clasped her hands before her, an adorable habit that Tsukune had learned she did when she was at ease and comfortable.

The pair proceeded to walk out of the door and down the pathway to the gym. As they reached it, a sign on the double steel doors announced that the Kendo club was located within and that any were welcome to enter to view the demonstration going on, and join the club if they were impressed and wished to learn. Tsukune thought about it, but decided that he was happy with his own fighting style, and ultimately figured that they wouldn't be happy with him using his own style in what seemed to be a _pure_ Kendo club.

"Come Moka, this club isn't for either of us." He glanced back to see the girl nod with confidence, agreeing with him completely as they followed the walkway to the right that curved around the gym to another walkway that led to a few smaller buildings one way, and down towards the third section of the school that, while not directly connected as the second-half was, still held a few vital classes – more geared towards the gifted students – the monster equivalent of the Human World's AP classes.

Standing at the cross-roads seemed to warrant that there was nothing to see beyond what might lay inside the Advanced Education building – what Tsukune had taken to calling the third section of the school, a place where he somewhat aspired to possibly enter into in the coming years. To his knowledge, only a handful of first year students even had one or two classes there, which was quite a testament to the requirements, considering a few of the genius minds he'd seen in his time here.

That was when something odd- foreign, even- entered his nostrils as he inhaled the light spring-smelling air and instead found the smell of water and chlorine tickling at his nose. Furrowing his brows, he glanced at Moka from the corner of his eyes and voiced his concern, "Do you know of a pool existing here on campus?"

Surprising to Tsukune the teen girl didn't need any time to think and nodded her head, "There is; a few of my classmates pass by the pool after their classes in 'YA3'. I hear them talking about it sometimes – it's never been in use, though."

His lips pressed into a thin line with his brows knit in thought, Tsukune cast his gaze towards the thick patch of dead trees that marred and obscured any vision to the other side in a murky sea of grays and blacks. After a moment's contemplation, he nodded his head, "We might as well check it out – there might be some interesting clubs between the Advanced Education Center," He elaborated, explaining that it was her 'YA3' upon the questioning look she shot him, "As I was saying, there might be some interesting clubs between the Advanced Education Center, and the pool..."

Moka nodded meekly, rousing a curious eyebrow out of her companion. No answer came however, and the two set off towards the southern bound walkway, slipping past the occasional peer that was heading in the opposite direction. They soon came to the junction and made a left as they walked along the white walled building's exterior and nearly had to duck one extremely long limb from a dead tree that dipped down beneath the tin covering, sticking nearly five inches into the walkway at a six-foot level.

Grunting his displeasure at the limb, the pair continued on until they came to a small gathering of groups, all set up with their own diminutive stands which didn't exactly stand out beyond the other. It was there that a surprise greeted them, a surprise with bright and ecstatic violet eyes and cerulean hair, clad in a cream colored vest... A cream colored vest that soon enveloped a mentally cursing Tsukune's face, leaving him both elated and annoyed as the soft, malleable orbs that were Kurumu's breasts molded to the shape of his head.

Already his mind was filled with a certain amount of dread, every synapse in his brain firing scattered thoughts about - all of the nature of his own personal security. Paranoia clawed away at him with each subtle shift the succubus made, causing both himself and her breasts to move about some. After nearly a thirty-second stint between her breasts he felt himself being pried free, and as the ringing in his ears subsided, he could make out muffled sounds of Moka and Kurumu talking.

"He just needs a little lovin', Moka-chan! It's not like I was doing anything bad!" He heard Kurumu chime with a flirtatious flare in her voice, though the air about her screamed that she was being defensive. From his crouched position, none could see him pinch the bridge of his nose in both annoyance and an effort to alleviate the mild headache that was forming.

The voice of Moka was of a more serious, concerned nature as she gestured towards him, eyes wide and body set in a stance that wasn't ready to progress to blows, but clearly demonstrated her attempt to control the situation, "He's not been feeling well, and you go and stuff him into your chest! He's been distant all this time, and you just assume he wants to be smothered!? Besides, we're in _public_! Geez, Tsukune's probably embarrassed – like I am."

Kurumu's eyes softened for just a moment before she let a smile reaffirm it's place on her lips, "I couldn't handle myself; he's been away for a long, long time... It's a good thing we didn't reunite in private – my hugs would be the least of what he'd have gotten~!"

The giggle the young succubus gave was quite disconcerting to the brunette teen, yet he couldn't find a great deal of annoyance or anger at the bluenette's proposition. It was there, but muted by several factors from it's normal amount... He could actually almost see himself going through with it, causing him to grit his teeth as a minute surge of anger rose high above his seemingly forced pacification, before it, too was muted.

Moka took a visible step back before a light blush touched at her cheeks and a light, nearly amused smile formed as she shook her head, "Can't you be serious? Look – Something was bothering him, and for the past two weeks we've barely seen him. Here he is, so you and I need to cherish this time while he's here."

Tsukune felt a small stir in his chest as he listened to Moka speak about him as if her were an integral part of her life, though it did annoy him slightly that she – they – were speaking about him as if he wasn't knelt down beside the two of them. That negative thought put to the side, he suddenly felt somewhat bad about distancing himself from the pair of girls, and especially when he thought about Kurumu – for some reason he knew not, that drove him up a wall.

"I was cherishing him," The seductress said with a light pout as she crossed her arms beneath her large breasts, pushing them up some, " In my own way, of course... He's my Destined One, after-all. I just want him to know he's not alone, and that he's always got Kurumu-chan!"

His chocolate eyes looked up at the cerulean-headed beauty that he was very hesitant to consider even a friend, and felt a stirring in his chest that was larger than what had happened just moments previous. His teeth grit and, though out of the perceptive ranges of the two girls, his eye-lids and brows strained a bit to hold off the blood that was rushing to flush his cheeks. 'This makes no sense – she's attractive, I'll admit it. However, I have no desires of any kind towards her... Why, then am I having this reaction!?' Tsukune mentally growled as he covered his left hand with his right to keep the fact that he was clenching it from public view.

Her stance shifted as she shook her head, yet Moka's attention turn to her male friend as he pulled himself up from the ground and dusted off his knees, then cast his gaze on the two grils, "It's alright Moka, she just got excited." His gaze, which was lingering on Kurumu grew intense, "Right? You just got excited after not seeing me for so long?"

The change was immediate and caused Tsukune to feel a strange duality of both saddened guilt, and expectant pleasure. Kurumu's face suddenly lost the gleeful excitement and became something akin to a kicked puppy that was just hoping for friendly acknowledgment in the form of a pat on the head, or a treat. She nodded as she visibly shrunk on herself, her head just barely lowered from where it was listed previously, but it was enough to show the effects of his statement.

Moka standing across from her, looking between the two with worry as her other friend suddenly did a one-eighty from her usual self, which made the image of how she acted as she approached them that morning two weeks prior, asking to befriend them. The utter fear of being turned away, and the disappointment that was deeply mixed with hope was glaring to anyone that even looked at the girl, and here it was again – muted slightly, but still evident.

It wasn't something she could actually see the blue-haired girl doing, especially now that she'd gotten to know the bubbly girl. The slightly immature girl had proven on a few, very few accounts that she was very mature – generally moments of insight that seemed well beyond her years, though it could be said it was a fluke. Therefore to see this girl almost cowering for the fear of being denied her 'Destined-One', it seemed very wrong, and not on a moral standpoint, either.

A second more passed as Tsukune stood, caught in his feelings of duality, before he snapped free when a foreign voice chimed in, and suddenly his feeling of personal space felt tainted, bringing a faint frown to his lips as he turned to look at the person as they spoke up, "Good afternoon, my beauties and good sir, I hate to be a bother but I saw the bunch of you standing here and thought that I'd introduce myself."

The trio looked at the man expectantly, though Moka made to smile at the older teen. Tsukune appraised him in the moments before his mouth opened again to speak his name. He was large, somewhat robust with the button-up white shirt of his uniform covering him and a thin, white apron atop that with what looked like two 'sunny-side up' eggs and a small piece of bacon making what was most-likely a smiley face on it.

He was somewhat short as well, standing at roughly five-feet, four inches although his hair somewhat bolstered his height by adding nearly two-inches to it, being a somewhat rusty-colored near-Afro. His nose was a bit bulbous, and the makings of a mustache could be seen growing between that and his upper-lip. His cheeks were a little rosy colored, though it wasn't too much of note considering his skin had a pinkish-red tint to it in the first place.

Green eyes sparkled with a common happiness as he merrily told those before him just who he was, "My name is Minato Tadama, the Third. It is my distinct pleasure to offer you a place amongst the culinary club. Now, before you say anything, I know what you're asking yourselves, 'Why have a club when there's a class on the very same subject?' Well, I say 'why not?' Those that love cooking shouldn't have to wait to cook, and in addition, everything made is donated to the different realms where there are young and old alike that lack steady access to food!"

That last tid-bit garnered an appreciative look from both Tsukune and Moka, while Kurumu actually stood there, somewhat surprised, awe in her violet-blue eyes. Tsukune considered joining the man's club based on that description, right then and there, however he steeled himself and nodded lightly, "That all sounds very good, however I must ask, how do you know?"

This confused Minato who blinked in puzzlement twice before kindly asking the brunette teen, "Pardon, what do you mean by that – 'How do you know'?"

Regarding the man with a tempered gaze, Tsukune casually tilted his head somewhat to the side as he gestured widely with his arms, "What I mean is, how do you know that the products of your club are truly conveyed and distributed to those in need: those without means, those that are homeless, those who are stepped upon by those perceived 'higher' than themselves. Plainly stated, can you prove this?"

Glancing around between those before him, Minato watched as the intelligent, though paranoid question sparked something in both of the girls before him that suddenly put a great deal of their admiration to the side and instead stared with questioning gazes. The teen began with a stutter, though it soon gained ground as he tried to explain, "W-well... I do, i-in a way, hehe. That is to say, er... I'm assured of it by the two third-years in my club that personally deliver them to the, erm...distribution centers."

Tipping his head forward some, the last Aono stepped closer to the man and made a small show of scrutinizing him before the corners of his mouth pulled downward in a small frown once more. He said nothing as he walked passed the man, then called over his shoulder to the girls that were giving worried and curious glances to his back, "Come along, you two; I will not join a club, however noble a goal they have, if they cannot show documentary proof of their contributions."

His chest began pounding in a panic, and the rotund rusty-haired man began to sputter some as the two girls glanced to each other and gave subtle nods, before walking past him to catch up with their friend. In a last ditch effort, Minato flipped around and called after the girls, "Korono-san, I know you love cooking almost as much as me! Aspara-sensei praises your work ethic and craft to our class, please, join the club!"

Tsukune stopped and glanced over his shoulder, watching the emotions play over the succubus' face, including a certain degree of uncertainty and contemplation. In both a gesture of kindness and a dubious roll of the dice to get more time away from the girl, he called over his shoulder, "Either of you may join, I won't think lower of either of you – I simply cannot join by principle."

Perhaps it was by her own volition, or maybe it was by the admission that Tsukune wouldn't care if she joined, but whichever it was it gave her the confidence to turn around with a solemn smile, "You're right, I _do_ love cooking; I love it almost as much as some other things... I have a reason for my cooking, though – a desire to better my skill at it. If I use my special specialty to cook things that don't even make it to those that deserve it, I would feel disgusted. So, no, I will stick with Tsukune and not join your club."

Moka smiled and gave an approving look to her cerulean-haired friend who grinned, proud of herself for keeping her integrity; for not squandering herself. It felt uplifting to hold on to her self-worth, a feeling that wouldn't be there had Tsukune not saved her and inadvertently shown her the correct path.

Facing forwards with the two girls close behind him, Tsukune closed his eyes and felt a strange sensation; it was as if he had been complimented, or perhaps praised by his long-dead mother. Yet the feeling came from a source that didn't exist – it had no physical identity, even in his mind, yet it felt familiar - close. He exhaled slowly as it faded and made a note to try to solve that in tonight's meditation session.

The brunette, pinkette, and blue-haired bombshell continued to walk together, the two former talking lightly amongst themselves with Tsukune throwing in a comment or two once in a while. Nothing major came up or occurred until a loud, forceful 'No!' was nearly yelled directly behind him. Quickly spinning on his heel with his eyes narrowed, moments from bursting into the crimson pinwheels, he came to see a very thin, and lanky teen holding something in front of him, poised directly before Moka.

Quickly walking over to the girls, he briefly brushed shoulders with Kurumu and caught sight of the teen. He wasn't too sure that he was wrong, but the person before the three of them looked like he was seconds away from death. Large eyes held in their place tiny, beady pupils that were blacker than the tomoe of his sharingan – if that were possible – and a few strands of his black hair hung over his face, falling to roughly his chin while the rest of his greasy, thin hair clung tightly to his face, only falling free at his jaw line and settling somewhere between his jaw and shoulders.

His face was sickly, holding tight to his skull and his cheeks gaunt, dipping in some – more than should be healthy, for a human. This was made even more disturbing because his skin was pasty white, but not just that, it was pale – showing off veins and the faint, barely perceptive color of his muscles beneath that. It was then that he noticed that this peculiar teen was giving a disgustingly lust-filled look at Moka, and casting glances to the busty succubus beside him.

If possible Tsukune's eyes narrowed a little bit more as he made to speak when the teen opened his mouth again, revealing off-white teeth that looked to be intended for grinding, rather than a menagerie as his own were -a possible herbivore, then. No matter, his gaze and incessant actions bothered the brunette as the teen spoke, "You must join our club, you're so beautiful... You would be an amazing model to use, yesss."

The gaunt teen's voice sounded light, wispy and as if he were half-whispering... At least, that would be true if he were not stressing his voice, causing it to strangle his words in a dark hiss. The lust dripping from his voice was nearly palpable, causing shivers to involuntarily run up the spines of both the girls, and Tsukune.

Kurumu blinked as she felt a strong, sudden urge to strangle the guy who was harassing Moka. It was soon accompanied by an intrinsic anger that began to bubble and froth about, starting out as a mere annoyance and soon it had culminated into a solidified iron ball of super-heated anger. It was so strong that she spoke out, and just as soon as it was there, it was gone, leaving her with the attention of the leering freak, "What did you ssssay?"

She suddenly felt meek, alone with a predator looming over her. Lost, she grasped at straws and soon fell back onto a tried and true method. The shocked and uncertain look that had been on the beautiful girl's face melted away beneath the facade of the smirking, confidant succubus which had been there earlier, before she had been admonished, "I said, 'Leave Moka-chan alone, creep!' You don't want to keep pestering her."

Suddenly interested much more than before, the teen let his eyes trail up and down the lascivious curves of the seductress, his pale-pink tongue coming out to lick his lips as he eyed her. He took a step closer as his already diminutive pupils contracted more, his lust seeping out of him almost visibly.

Tsukune watched as Kurumu's lips curved into a wider smirk, "Nu-huh, you're not going to touch me – only one man gets to do that! Now leave us alone..." The tone of her voice was playful, as if daring him to make another move yet the seriousness of her statement could be seen clearly in her violet eyes.

Unfortunately he didn't heed her warning and made to grab her, only to be intercepted by Tsukune's hand gripping his wrist. The brunette teen cast a cold gaze at the greasy-haired boy, his chocolate eyes regarding him as one would a roach, and when he talked it was with a voice devoid of much emotion – a regression to his first day of school, " Don't put yourself in a position to forced to stand down, you'll not enjoy it."

The beady eyes flared into anger as he stared up at the taller teen whom had hold of his wrist with contempt, "Who do you think you are – I am Toshiro Hitachi, my father is C Hitachi. Let go of me, and I'll forget about thisss."

The name had the succubus' face scowling in thought, while Moka simply stood somewhat behind Kurumu merely disgusted by the teen who had made to get her attention by grabbing her breast 'accidentally'. Tsukune's lips which had been set in a thin, hard line crept into a small smirk though his eyes stayed as cool as before, "I could care less; if he cares enough to come after me, we'll deal with that, then. Now then, apologize to the lovely ladies and remove yourself from our company. If you don't, well I'll be sure to inform the infirmary of your name."

The wide mouth on the creeper upturned into a very freakish smirk as he stood to his full height, rather than hunching over slightly, revealing himself to be half-a-head taller than Tsukune, "All I want isss to have these two delicious specimens model in my club, so I will not apologize for my recruitment methodssss."

Sighing visibly, Tsukune bent the kid's wrist back to the point that he was in pain as he went to raise the camera to snap a picture of what was likely Moka's cleavage, which was always somewhat visible through her parted blazer and slightly unbuttoned shirt, "Do it and you'll be able to start a colonoscopy club once you're released from the hospital."

Words were not had, as the second he spoke the rhetorical threat, his free hand found the teen's throat and shoved him out of the way, knocking him to the ground. The teen looked around with worry, until Tsukune whistled, calling his attention long enough to see Tsukune toss his camera to him.

The trio began to walk away, the two women in the group still somewhat shocked into silence as they ran through the entire insane encounter. No-one noticed the small reel of film that Tsukune crushed in his hand before he tossed it into one of the garbage bins along the walkway, a glimmer of satisfaction in his eyes.

As they continued to walk down the pathway, the smell of chlorine and water got stronger and stronger, to the point that the small amount of must and woodland smell from the dead trees was completely overrun. In addition, the closer they got the more clubs they ran across, a few of them even made to induct them into their ranks.

Among them were the science club, a group who stood around in white lab coasts, with a rolling tray of dubious and strange concoctions held in beakers and test tubes that sat in their racks. A menagerie of colors and textures sat in their containers, from red to black, and liquid to something with the consistency of molasses. The head of the club had begun fair enough with an introduction, but then his eyes landed on Moka, and he instantly wanted to make a love potion with her, and only her.

Next came the acupuncture club which had one of their members on the table, filled with needles. It reminded Tsukune of an old horror movie in which one of the main villains, Pin-head, made a close resemblance to the man on the table who's serene look was a grand contrast to the needles puncturing him. They quickly asked Kurumu if she would allow them to 'stick her all over her body'.

The last club of note came by three-quarters of the way down the pathway, where they could see the chain-link gate that surrounded the pool, and the light sounds of laughter were reaching them. The club in question was the mummy club, in which everyone was apparently a great fan of the Egyptian-native monsters of whom the leader wasn't. They didn't actually approach the group, however Tsukune made a comment that sent the girls into a fit of giggles. As he watched the bandaged teens walk around, covered in head to toe with white, gray, or cream colored bandages, he couldn't help but cock his head to the side, "That's racist."

"W-what!?" The bellowed question was asked by Kurumu who's eyes had widened, her mouth open and stretched in a smile as she tried to hold back the laughter that was trying to escape. She failed moments later and walked over to Tsukune laughing, grabbing his shoulder for support, inadvertently pressing her large chest into him as she wobbled with weak knees.

Moka's cheeks had become rosy and giggles were escaping her even though she had her immaculately dainty looking hand covering her mouth to stave it off. She couldn't help the occasional loud laugh that slipped through the light titters, which only made her cheeks burn brighter.

They attempted to make a bit of distance but the laughing was greatly impeding their progress, not that it was a bad thing. So jovial a moment that the girls had made it, Tsukune's own lips were twitching upwards as a small flicker of hilarity and joy sparked in his usually deadened brown eyes. It sent a wave of elation through him as he looked at his two friends, knowing that he -through some act of randomness – had managed to bring them this joy.

A while after regaining their composure, the group continued through the masses of students and the groups of clubs that littered the pathway towards the pool. It was officially in their sight, and was filled with many boys and girls simply frolicking about and enjoying their time in the cool water. The sounds of squeals and laughter were at times deafening now, and the entire atmosphere about the place screamed that it was a fun, easy-going place.

Moka eyed the pool with a bit of disdain and fear, her lower lip having been caught by her teeth and was being nibbled as a way to cope – to not twitch and worry her hands like she wanted to do. She knew that stepping foot into the water meant that she was going to be in extreme pain – maybe not as bad as a few training sessions with her _family_, but certainly nothing she ever wanted to experience willingly. Yet she would humor her friends and allow them to check it out, 'I just hope they don't want to join...'

She had contemplated saying something to Tsukune, confessing of her race's one true weakness above all others, but had decided that the timing just seemed wrong – not that it was anything special to say. Telling anyone of that who didn't know was seen as a terrible mistake to many of the covens in the world, and some would even execute their members. Of course, it did little good to keep those practices up; you can't exist for a thousand or so years without your secrets becoming known, which had happened somewhat widely.

It was notably more useful to keep the fact that one was a vampire to themselves than to try to hide that glaring weakness. Half the time now, a vampire was instantly tied to both blood as sustenance and water as a major weakness. Of course, a little known secret was that 'vampire' was a generalization; there were actually three main branches of vampires, but they all shared varying degrees of weakness to water. Moka, herself, just so happened to belong to the branch weakest to water.

She instantly regretted the decision to not tell him of her fear of the pool when three beauties made themselves known before them, and especially when she caught the barest hint of a blush show as Tsukune was caught unawares to their appearance. That boded badly, because it was just one more thing that could make the chances of him joining the club higher.

Kurumu on the other hand had just gotten a bit miffed when the blush occurred, prompting her to take a step closer to Tsukune and mash her breasts against his arm, whilst she turned a cocky glare on the three women before her, effectively claiming ownership – in her own mind, "Go away you floozies, Tsukune-kun is my man."

A soft sigh escaped Tsukune as the three girls before him looked between them and giggled. Well, the center one giggled, the two beside her simply sent a look that seemed haughty and indignant to the succubus. Meanwhile, the one in the center took a step forward, and introduced herself, "Hello handsome, would you like to join the swimming club? I'm the Head Swimmer and adviser for the club, Ichinose Tamao."

Tsukune looked the woman up and down subtly, studying her to look for any nuance that would hint at deception...As well as to, to a very small extent, simply look at her. She was very beautiful, that much was easily seen at just a side-long glance. Maybe not as good looking as either Moka or Kurumu, but she had a certain 'mature woman' air about her that helped her entire attractiveness rival just that of the girls... coming in perhaps third-place in comparison.

Her face was set in a kind, welcoming expression and her aquamarine eyes seemed to convey a certain cheer that was somewhat lost elsewhere. She had a very soft face, though her chin came to a bit of a point which worked well with her. Her lightly tanned skin – a shade lighter than the bluenette's own – was made to stick out a bit more as her coal-black hair which looked as silky as it was curly, which fell against her face in places, and pooled upon her shoulders. Shoulders that were covered with a barely worn button-up white shirt, which somewhat obscured the algae blue-green scaled bikini top she wore that clung tightly to her rather large breasts.

Her midsection was uncovered, revealing a somewhat toned stomach and naval, but the rest of her was covered rather well by a blue and green tie-die skirt which clung close to her hips, but flowed freely beyond that down to her shins. She had two tiny scars that sat on the outside of both of her calves, and she stood on the pathway in a pair of ash-colored thongs with a white lily sitting atop the binding for the various strings that held them to her feet.

He eyed the two girls at Tamao's side which were looking around, casting flirty eyes at everyone, including himself a couple of times. After a moment to consider, the young man looked up into the slightly taller girl's eyes, a look of utter carelessness schooling his features, "I will join your club..."

Seeing the faces of the girls before him shift in delight -and to a minor extent, something else – as well as feeling, more than seeing the mixture of worry and panic, as well as jealousy and excitement coming from the two behind him, he continued, " I will join the swimming club, only on the condition that my two friends here are also permitted to join."

The succubus' eyes grew large as her heart skipped a beat. 'T-tsukune-kun actually called me his friend... No prompting, he just said it!,' her mind yelled at her, and she in reciprocation squealed in her mind, whilst she had to actually block the sound from escaping her, yet the blush was incapable of being stopped. For all of her antics to try to get his attention, for all of her desire to love him, she knew that she would have to start slow.

It didn't mean she had to like it, nor did it mean it was easy or that she would really abandon her other tactics altogether. Yet being called his friend outright, that to her was a sign of major progress. Maybe enveloping him in a breast-suffocating hug wasn't quite in the picture yet, but it was getting closer! Kurumu couldn't stop the wide grin that exposed her flawless teeth to the world, nor did she want to.

Moka's jade eyes were stricken wide as she stared starkly at Tsukune with unabated shock, her heart was beating out of her chest as wave after wave of cold spells hit her, despite the fact that in a few minutes her school uniform would be form-fitting due to it's dampness. Her breathing was rapid, causing a bit of lightheaded flashes to affect her, making her sway a little as she panicked in her mind – too dismayed to move her body.

She had been counting on her best friend's lack of desire to keep her from having to choose in such a life or death situation, literally. On one hand she could see that Kurumu was dying to join, and Tsukune obviously had some mild desire to do so, otherwise he never would have added the stipulation; he'd have simply said, 'no.' On the other hand, she would be forced to sit on the side-lines, as she couldn't even dip her feet in the pool and splash them around – not if she didn't want to be carted off to the infirmary minutes afterward.

Finally she turned her head to look down at herself, and noticed that her rosary was jingling on it's chain of it's own volition. No-one was looking at her oddly, so they'd clearly not noticed it, so she clutched it both to hep abate her nervousness and to keep it from shivering as it was. Taking a deep breath, she went to speak when Kurumu beat her to the punch, "I'd _love_ to join the swimming club if _Tsukune-kun_ is going to be there! I have several swim-suits that I could show off!"

Tsukune actually gave a light chuckle, turning his head a bit to look at her, "If that's what you'd like to do. I, myself, will be enjoying the water – it's always felt something like a second home to me. That's one, what about you, Moka?"

The pink-haired girl glanced up to Tsukune and he instantly noticed that something was wrong. She wasn't happy, her lip was fringed some from the chewing she'd been doing on it and her eyes held a sheen of water that made her off-jade eyes glisten more than normal – and not with the joviality she usually possessed.

Though he picked up on this fact, he said nothing and merely raised an eyebrow asking her to answer, or perhaps to explain. Still, with his lack of words came expressive chocolate eyes that questioned her emotional state. The vampire fidgeted a moment as she considered whether to tell Tsukune of her race's weakness to the very thing he wanted to frolic about in, or if she should keep it to herself.

Then, as if by fate slapping her across the cheek, she realized that she simply _couldn't_ tell him, not here. These monsters, these girls that were trying to recruit them, were complete unknowns and she wasn't going to tell them, _too_. It was too much of a risk, and god knows what her father would do if they were one of the groups that didn't know, and suddenly they found out the miraculous weakness to their kind.

Looking up she realized that Tsukune, as well as the three girls from the club, were awaiting her answer. Tsukune shifted his weight to his other foot and as he did so, visible worry flashed across his facial features before it was schooled once more. Tamao and her two friends simply stared at her, though she could feel a certain heat – as if they were glaring at her whilst not doing so physically, daring her to decline.

With a sigh, she finally touched Tsukune's arm and hung her head low as she spoke with her voice low, subdued, "I-I can't join Tsukune, I'm sorry... It's just I-" her voice hitched as she tried to think of a good reason that she couldn't get in the water, something believable, that wouldn't be easily disputed. Finally, after a number of seconds she let out a soft breath, "I've been deftly afraid of water since I was little... I just, freeze up when it touches me."

Visibly shocked at this confession, he gently nodded his head and gave a comforting smile that only she could see before he turned around to face the girls who's faces had sagged down from the light happiness they had been displaying. It wasn't a huge change, in fact he was likely the only one to see it – but he did, and that set off the alarms in his head.

Eye contact between Tamao and Tsukune lasted for just a second before Tsukune closed his eyes and placed his arms behind his back in a respectful manner, taking a deep breath he said with a curt nod at the end, "I must decline your invitation to join this club. Since Moka here will not be comfortable joining, then neither am I."

Kurumu turned to him crestfallen, her violet eyes tinged just slightly red at the strain of having to hold back a few tears of disappointment. She had been planning to use the pool as a way to quickly evolve their relationship – quickly being used in a relative sense, of course. She was going to flaunt herself to the pool, although primarily him in all manner of bathing suits, from her simply one-piece and plain bikini bottom to her stringy-one-piece and risque top and bottoms.

Yet it wasn't just the seduction and flirting that she had planned. She knew that, overall, it was just a way to spend more time with him. She honestly enjoyed his company, his presence, and his taciturn attitude – and she really liked it when he broke out of that shell and showed a fragment of emotion, like he had earlier.

Looking up at him with her somewhat saddened off-purple eyes, she geabbed his hand and held it softly in her own, making no move to drag his appendage into her bosom, which surprised him. The two looked at one another for a moment or two before the seductress asked, "You're not going to join, then?"

He shakes his head negatively and allows his eyes to soften once more, warming the girl's cheeks some as well as bringing a tiny bit of light back to her usually bright eyes, "No. I'm not going to join because Moka has issues with making friends – call it a low self-esteem. I aim to stay with her to keep her in the company of at least one friend. I don't expect you to give up what you might like, however, for our sakes; if you want to swim – join."

As expected, the succubus' face darkened at first, seeing his siding with Moka as him choosing the vampire over her. Yet she realized that what he said was true; in the two weeks that she had known the girl, Moka never tried to make friends, and while she was a budding social butterfly, it never came out unless it was with someone she trusted.

Kurumu felt a certain calm wash over her as her Destined One told her that she was free to do that which made her happy. She smiled, 'I really wish Tsukune would be there, watching me in my bathing suits, swimming with me, and playing around... I want him there, but I've always wanted to swim... and didn't he say that he felt like the water was a second home!?'

Her mind worked double-time as this new information caught up with her, making her nearly grin, 'If I can learn to swim well, then maybe a trip to the beach can happen, where we can have a pick-nick, and maybe I can into the water and call _Tsukune-kun_ to join me. Well swim, and then I'll just _fall_ into the water and... ,"Ooh!"

Violet eyes sprang open suddenly and just as soon were covered by her well-manicured hands, hiding while rubbing the massive red blush that burned fiercely upon her lightly tanned cheeks, contrasting quite well against the natural mocha color of her skin. Her lips, though pressed into a thin line were curved lavishly upwards in pleasure and joy, 'I can't believe I just got _this_ worked up!'

After calming and _cooling_ herself down, the large breasted seductress turned to Tsukune and nodded while thanking him and then turned to the Swimming Club's leader, "You know what? I think I _will_ join the swimming club! I can have a lot of fun, and I bet I'll be better at swimming, then maybe... Mmm."

Tamao's rather thick lips pursed into a minute frown, and just as soon were forced into a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. She glanced between Kurumu and Tsukune subtly before nodding and motioning for the girl to come closer to her, "Don't worry, we'll teach her to swim great and take _good_ care of her."

Nodding his appreciation, Tsukune turned to Moka and gave her a small nod as well before they turned to walk off, leaving the Succubus behind with the three women. After a few steps, the infatuated bluenette called out, "Don't let any other girls touch you while I'm away, Tsukune-kun!"

In yet another revelation of his emotions peaking out, or perhaps him simply not being as guarded, he looked back and waved, "We'll see how that turns out. Just bring your whacking stick, just in case... Moka and I will come by to watch you swim after our classes, if... that's okay with you, Tamao-san."

Thinking over the request that was made, Tamao pursed her pale pink lips. It was against the usual regulations to allow people to watch them swim, though her and the entire swim club did enjoy the wandering eyes that landed on them. Still, it was one thing for a passerby to stop and admire, and another for two people to simply stop and watch for hours.

Yet this one proposition had a tantalizing stipulation, one which she was all too glad to allow. She made a show of thinking hard over it, but had she not closed her eyes, the aquamarine orbs would show an eagerness that would likely outdo that of a starved man in the Sahara who'd seen a banquet awaiting him. At last she sighed in accordance, nodding, "Alright, I'll allow you two to come see your friend. Just remember, we're always here if you can't find a club to join!"

Winking with that last reassurance, Tamao forced a smile as the bright-haired girl beside her squealed in happiness, clearly happy that the one she was infatuated with would be able to watch her. A smirk crawled up the lip of the Swim Club adviser and leader, one which wasn't solely of confidence or pride, but belayed the insidious plans which she had been thinking of for _just_ this situation.

She glanced at one of the two girls behind her and gave a short, concise nod. Instantly the redhead who's dark auburn hair fell in such a way as to frame her face, yet only allow the fringes of the ends to come in contact with her jaw-line gained a primal, hungry look within her dark-brown eyes. Her ruby-red lips – whether from lipstick or natural pigmentation – grew into a grin, revealing her teeth which briefly sharpened into somewhat dull spikes.

Placing a hand on Kurumu's shoulder she smiled kindly down at the shorter girl, "Kurumu, was it? We need to get you into the changing room, and into a swimsuit – unless you brought one with you?"

Genuine excitement glowed in those violet eyes as she looked up at her club's leader, feeling an increasing comfort and feeling a bit impatient as to when Tsukune would be able to see her in her sexy clothing – or lack thereof. Shaking her head, Kurumu told the taller woman that she didn't have one, but would be happy to get into her swimsuit, "Alright, let's get you into one of our spares... It's a one-piece; unfortunately the bikini tops we have barely handle my own size, and we don't want _you_ spilling out, now."

Kurumu blushed, and while she didn't deny it outright, she mentally added a 'Yet.' to Tamao's teasing remark about her boobs. No, she didn't want her boobs to pop out, yet... That would be something she wanted around Tsukune – preferably with only Tsukune around, if she had any say in it. 'Oh, damn it all!' she'd managed to work herself up a little bit one again.

As her newest member began to walk towards the changing room, the Swim Club's head member narrowed her eyes, 'Tsukune-_kun_ may be planning to show up to see his precious _bimbo_, but there won't be anything left but a drained, dry _bat_. You really, _really_ should have joined – You'd have saved a friend, and gained one _hell_ of a night...'

Meanwhile, with Tsukune and Moka, five minutes had passed since Tamao had agreed to allow the pair to come watch their friend swim after classes had ended. They had kept to the pathway during that time and made very small talk, most of which was one-sided as Tsukune wasn't doing much aside grunting and glancing about. Finally, Moka took a step in front of him and gripped his shoulders, "What's the matter, Tsukune? Are you angry with me – did you want to swim that badly?"

He didn't answer at first, which Moka had expected from her male friend. He didn't spend his words mindlessly, which both had her admiration and caused her a bit of frustration, especially in a situation like this. His lips parted for a sigh and he shook his head, "No, I'm not mad at you and while I do enjoy swimming, I wouldn't want to do so there."

Seeing her questioning gaze and motioned that he would tell her in a minute, "We need to get off of this path, now."

Before she could even question him, he was off of the cement walkway and had began to trek through the school grounds which were covered with some monster variety of blue-colored grass, though there still existed sparse areas which could have been intentional, or pointed to the sheer unsuitableness of the land. With only a plead for him to wait for her, she dashed off the path and caught up with him after a moment, "Where are we going?"

No answer. Of course, why would he speak – he rarely did when he was concentrating. Quickly giving up on her hope for an answer, she followed her best friend, knowing that he had yet to steer her or himself wrong – which was a bit uncanny and odd, but she trusted him with her life. He'd saved it twice already, after-all.

Looking ahead of them revealed what could only be their destination – a thick patch of morbid woodlands, filled entirely with extremely sparse blue grass and trees resting thick, with barely a human-body sized space at any given time between them. She smiled, though it wasn't entirely joyful – held a little bit of annoyance. 'Tsukune's so strange.'

After getting deep enough into the woods that one would be hard-pressed to see them, he changed direction and began to head north, much to Moka's mild chagrin and curiosity. She didn't like these forests, especially not after Saizou had cornered her within them a month earlier.

Once a good amount of time had passed – ten minutes, give or take two by Moka's assumption, Tsukune began to speak to her, catching her off guard at first, "Those girls – the ones at the pool – they approached us, and us specifically. That in, and of itself, isn't shocking, I'm aware. It was the attention they gave me through the entire exchange... Rarely did the tall one, Ichinose, take her eyes off of me."

Cocking her head to the side Moka spoke up, her left brow arched high, "Certainly she was looking around, I saw her looking everywhere."

"On the surface," Tsukune added to her observation, a mirthless smile ghosting into existence, "she was looking around, but her attention never once left me, and even though she turned her head, 'looking' about, her pupils were locked upon me at _all_ times, including as we walked off."

Tapping her bottom lip, Moka eyed him strangely, "You find this alarming? I see Kurumu-chan, as well as a lot of other people staring at you. Why does this have you so... riled?"

"Because most of them eye me with admiration, fear, and lust," Tsukune answered monotonously, stepping over a rather large fallen limb, and then pivoted to offer Moka his hand, helping her across. Once she was safely on what could be best said as solid ground, he continued his thoughts whilst walking, "This look, the feeling which I got from her stares, was one which I haven't exactly felt except in the worst areas at...home. It was lust, but not as you would describe it."

She made a light noise of inquiry, not understanding what he was trying to say, ''_Lust, but not as you would describe it.' _What could he mean? If it's not _that_ kind of lust, then... Hmm. Oh, maybe he means-!'

Her thoughts halted as he resumed speaking, "The only other comparison I truly have is the feeling _you_ get when your hungry. Granted, I've only recently pieced together that you've wanted blood – though I'd suspected it for a while."

Moka felt her cheeks heated up and she apologized meekly, feeling both embarrassed and more than a little guilty for attempting to bite onto him without any warning, or even _asking his permission. _Suddenly, for a reason she didn't understand, she felt angry – jilted, even. It passed quick enough, but the sudden burst left her bewildered, 'That was strange...I wonder what that was about?'

Putting it behind her for now, she spoke up, curious, "So you think she wanted to... eat you? Is that what you think she was wanting – to lure you into the pool and get you close so she could somehow eat you?"

Flashing his sharingan for a moment, his lips pressed into a grim, thin line at the sight granted to him from his 'cursed' eyes. He and the voice had spoken once since his self-hermitage from his friends, and one of his questions had yielded answers that were both disconcerting just as much as they were mesmerizing. He knew that the images that his eyes showed him, while greater than most of his far-removed, and ancient kin, was still no match for what had become known back then as the Byakugan – an eye which could magnify sight by a factor of a thousand, and allow impeccable sight of one's inner energy – and that of nature around them.

Despite that, he could see small balls of light blue energy dipping, twirling and otherwise frolicking amongst a rainbow of other colors. Through his flashing of his eyes in a vain attempt to find his ill-wishing stalker, he had figured out that -for the most part- the different colors of inner energy was a by-product of one's monstrosity – or race, to be polite. All of the blue – of which almost numbered half of those in the pool – were part of the same group. It didn't prove anything, but the hunch which Tsukune had became much more profound.

Worrying her hands, Moka wondered once more what had caught her friend's attention. The two of them had been walking in silence for nearly three minutes, when she heard him grunt before another minute of silence reigned. It was spooky enough being in this graveyard of nature, but the icy air that surrounded them, not to mention Tsukune's silence, was getting to her; already goose-bumps had riddled her arms.

"Ano, T-tsukune? What is it?" She questioned, now rubbing her arms more so to comfort herself than to warm herself up. It was somewhat working, as her heart had calmed down some. She stopped when Tsukune had suddenly come to a halt and held a single finger up.

For a few moments the two were as still as statues, and then Tsukune took off running, "Let's go Moka; I was right – it's begun!"

She stumbled a bit, but the moment her footing was regained she, too, took off and quickly caught up to her best friend. Panic and shock were written on her face as she ran in tandem with the brunette teen who she inquired, "W-what's going on!? Why are we running!?"

He didn't so much as look at her, and his voice was a hard monotone – the same she's heard him use when he had rescued her from that looming brute, Saizou. It sent chills down her spine, and she wasn't sure if she was nervous, scared, or exhilarated by it, "Tamao and her entire club, they've begun to attack those that they 'recruited'. I've no idea the reason – and I don't care... This must be put to an end."

Jade eyes widened in both disgust and horror, 'She's _attacking _them!? Why – why would she do such a thing? They're all just wanting to swim with her, and her group!' Moka' then gasped aloud as her eyes narrowed in determination, realizing that Kurumu – her second best friend, was in there as well – that she was in danger.

Across the way, within the pool which had been a picture of serenity and joy mere minutes before, had quickly degenerated into a massive whirlpool of violence and terror. It had all started when two girls, one redhead and the other a green-tinted blonde, had suddenly latched onto the teen whom they'd been teaching to swim, and pried this arms to each side whereupon they each bit down. Hard.

He never even had time to scream has his skin began to wrinkle and get taut, stretching tightly as if it had lost its elasticity. It didn't stop, even as he screamed out in an increasingly lighter and hoarse voice, until it was little more than a shallow gargle. By the time they let him loose, his skin was just about to rip, and one could easily see his skeletal structure beneath his now thin skin. With no strength, and barely alive, the teen fell forward into the water and floated there, bubbles slowly escaping with a decreasing frequency until they stopped.

Kurumu screamed, terrified as all the women who she had been laughing and swimming with, jokingly teasing a few of the boys whose eyes just wouldn't leave her, suddenly changed before her eyes, then grabbed themselves one of the male 'recruits' and began to feed on them. She flailed about, violet eyes frantically searching for some way to safety, overlooking the ladder in her panic.

Suddenly her newest assumed 'friend', Ichinose Tamao's head popped out of the fifteen foot deep water, a cruel gleam in her aquamarine eyes, "Oh, don't panic now Kurumu-chan! I promise you it won't hurt _too_ bad, when I drain you dry!"

She suddenly shot forwards at Kurumu with a speed that she had seen most of the other girls – those that weren't screaming – move with. Her hand, once somewhat tanned and manicured with a pale opal polish upon her nails, reached out of the water to reveal it had become a light-blue color, with hints of regular flesh color showing through. Her hand, itself had enlarged to a quarter larger than normal, and her fingers had become thicker as well, sporting sharp claws at the ends and a thin membrane webbing between them.

It was difficult in the water, but she just barely escaped being sliced open by the dangerous claws which had been poised to take her neck. Twirling around with narrowed eyes, Kurumu screamed, "What the hell are you doing!? What's the big idea, attacking everyone!?"

Tamao grinned, revealing thin, sharp teeth that were about half the width of her human disguise's set, and apparently had twice the amount with as tightly as they were packed. Speeding towards her target again, she wasn't surprised when the cerulean haired recruit dodged her swipe again.

Kurumu had just moved past the swipe aimed at her, when a powerful strike hit her in the stomach, knocking the breath out of her and pushing her somewhat beneath the water, coughing up bubbles until she regained her bearings. The young girl grunted as she made to swim towards the surface, only to feel a sharp pain tear into her back, eliciting a soundless yell of foam.

She shifted around, seeing a wispy cloud of maroon clouding the water as it thinned ever-more, and across the veil floated a smirking mermaid, one arm still poised to strike and the claws at the end smeared with a trace amount of blood. Kurumu grimaced as she pushed herself towards the surface, knowing that she couldn't dodge another hit from the fish-bitch. To her surprise and relief she wasn't attacked, but the moment she gained her breath and opened her eyes she attempted to backpedal, Tamao was staring her in the face, no more than a nose's length away from touching.

No more than a second had passed when Tamao circled Kurumu once, twice, and a third time in record time, in a manner that caused the busty bluenette's heart to thump quickly, wondering when the killing strike would come. Finally, her tormentor stopped moving and laughed, "What's wrong, _Kurumu_? Scared? Terrified, then? Is there no-one who will save you?"

The young girl, clad in a purple one-piece with a very small heart cut out right where her cleavage began, hissed both in pain and anger as she felt the comments nip at her just as the slices in her back nipped at her, "S-shut up! Why the hell are you doing this – is it because of Tsukune-kun!?"

Violet eyes picked up the subtle narrowing of the mermaid's eyes, and the straightening of her posture. 'Yes, that's it. You're attacking me because you can't have him – because Tsukune-kun is mine, and because you couldn't trick him to get into the pool! Kurumu snickered mentally with confidence. So that's what her angle was, huh? She was taking out her failure to get Tsukune on her, and everyone else in the pool.

"You know nothing, little cretin!" Tamao screeched as she launched herself out of the water, arching through the air and made to cross-swipe the irritating little twit as she landed right where the girl's head had been. Had been, because Kurumu pushed herself back with as much force as she could, and then revealed her own weapons – her own nine inch talon like nails which were as hard as steel. She swiped at the mermaid, tearing the second of her three frilly fins along the length of her left side.

The pain wasn't great, but those fins happened to be an integral stabilizer for her kind whilst swimming at high speeds. The damage to a single one wasn't enough to greatly inhibit her ability to navigate, but too much more and she would simply be tossed about aimlessly in the water as she flicked her tail. Angered at the damage, Tamao surfaced quickly, making another blind swipe which was dodged, "You ripped my fin! I'm going to enjoy this more than I thought, oh yes!"

Kurumu gave a cocky smirk that even in her weakened and pained state belayed that she was at her prime, ready to fight 'till the end, and she was. She wouldn't give in on any normal day, and that was exacerbated since the entire reason this was happening was this cunt and her anger that Tsukune wouldn't fall prey to her weak wiles. Kurumu's smirk grew at that, 'You can't trick _my_ Destined One!'

Flicking her tail, the head-swimmer of the Swim Club darted towards the injured woman, then darted to the left in just enough time to miss the long pink talons that cut through the water, "Tsukune-kun will _never_ be yours, for any vile reason a creepy bitch like you would want him for!"

A tickle of sound, light and airy yet heavy with the hatred that marred the laugh escaped the mermaid who let out a low, feminine growl. Her aquamarine eyes narrowed in frustration, feeling a burning sensation in her chest from the insult – the _nerve_ of the blue-haired bitch before her was beyond belief! Dashing for her, the mermaid prepared another swipe, "You'll _never_ know; I'll make sure to put you into a watery grave before you can _warn him!_"

She tried to dodge the strike, but luck was, once again, not on her side. She could only watch as the ring and pinky finger of the damned woman caught her right shoulder and tore into it, splashing several drops of blood into the water as a few streams ran down her arm all the while she tried to not cry from the pain. Her teeth were gritting as tight as they could; she could hear and feel the grinding and felt that, any tighter, and they would shatter.

Taking an unsteady breath, Kurumu closed her eyes, calming herself into a tranquil state as she gathered all the courage that ever existed for her. She had no illusions that this fight was likely going to be the end for her, and she couldn't even fight at her best; her charm only worked against those of the same sex if they were attracted to her. Her wings were useless unless she could get out of the water, as within they would just create drag and wouldn't have the power to push her into the air. In addition, they'd just be larger targets.

Opening her eyes, she felt the spade of her tail pierce through the back of her swim-suit, just above her ass and nodded to herself, 'This is it, Kurumu. You've had a fun life; Mom, Auntie Rin, Moka, and _Tsukune-kun_...'A smile formed on her face as she used her tail to give a very tiny boost in her speed as she sped towards the mermaid who had turned around and was preparing to do the same to her.

'If I can... Just hurt her enough... Leave a mark, something! He _can't_ be caught by her!' Kurumu screamed mentally, narrowed violet eyes blazing with pure hatred at the woman speeding towards her, thinking of Tsukune's safety and how to make sure that she could save her Destined One, even though she wouldn't be with him any longer, 'Physically, at least.'

The pair sent glares at each other with enough malice within them that it could have killed the other. The looks wouldn't have to though; in mere moments one of the two would be the decider of the fight, and the one whom fell short – would die. Cackling, the mermaid made the swipe, just as Kurumu used all her might, straining her arms until the fire of her muscles burned brightly as white streaks in her vision to bring her talons to bare from beneath the waves.

The two reached one another, personal weapons poised to strike each other in the worst of ways. Knowing that, regardless of the place or outcome, she would be bleeding to death as all five claws tore into her flesh, Kurumu closed her eyes and fell into the serene mind-state knowing full well that given the cards dealt to her, she had done her best to protect Tsukune from the bitch's plan. She awaited the agonizing pain; the shredding of skin, and the searing hot grooves her body would soon tell her adorned her chest and mutilated her breasts.

A second passed, then two, and soon five had flown by without a single ounce of pain. 'Did it happen so fast I never felt it?' She wondered to herself as she opened her right eye, only seeing darkness as she did. A frown pursed at her lips as she wondered if she was in limbo, seeing as one of the ending planes were always said to have _some_ color – darkness was _not_ a color. She opened her left eyes and saw a slightly lighter shade of gray, and... a _black_ _dot_?

Shifting her head and her eyes, she blinked the bleariness from them and found herself staring up at a frosty-faced brunette who's chocolate eyes belayed a raging storm of hail and fiery wrath! It only took her a scant moment to realize it was Tsukune, and that _she_ was in _Tsukune's arms_. He had saved her at the last minute, and was now holding her, staring off at... something, with a great deal of animosity and rage.

He said nothing as he shifted his weight, and Kurumu suddenly felt a feeling of vertigo before she wobbly stood on her own two feet for a few seconds, until the pain caught up with her, and she fell to one knee, stifling a cry of anguish, 'I _have_ to be strong for Tsukune-kun.'

She never noticed his hand clench as she succumbed to her pain, or the minute motioning of his head that had Moka coming to his side, wide worried off-jade eyes looking her second best friend over, trying to ignore the disgust rising in her throat at the slashes across her back and arm. It was only with a surprise 'eep!' that Kurumu realized that Moka had come as well, "Kurumu-chan! Oh my, how did all this happen!?"

She smiled as her vision crossed into a field of bleariness for a moment, "That... Bitch, Tama – err, Tamao. She got me good, huh, Moka-chan?"

The pale skinned young woman looked at her friend as she helped the injured girl off toward the changing rooms – the only 'safe' place close-by, with a look of trepidation plastered upon her face despite how much she tried to keep it away, if only to comfort the half-delirious succubus beside her, "D-don't say things like that, Kurumu-chan; you're going to be fine, I know it." Then she added silently, 'I hope.'

Loosely nodding her head was all the young seductress could manage as she tried her best to relieve some of the burden that her friend was dealing with, trying to guide her limp body to safety. She could partially tell that they were heading to a covered building, but where that was – and how far they'd traveled thus far, these were unknown to her in the waxing and waning awareness she had.

Within her mind, Kurumu was trying to piece together the events that led up to her sudden safety, without much avail as every time her consciousness would start to fade a little, it would all scramble around a little. Had she been in her right mind, the young succubus would have howled in frustration, leaving that for a different time to unwind.

"H-how'd Tsuk'ne get me out of that... umm, situation?" Kurumu wondered aloud, looking up to the rafter-supported plywood roof which had been painted to a soft gray color. Her eyes hung onto one of the ceiling lights, attracted to the bright light – some primal fascination that was showing through in her befuddlement. She felt herself being set down, and shifted her weight to keep herself upright against the pull of gravity and her shifting equilibrium.

Moka sat beside her, an arm wrapped around her with a frim grip held on her opposite shoulder. Kurumu winced as her clawed shoulder was briefly irritated by Moka's clothing, but she grew used to it with the help of her body's natural anesthetic. Her head titlted to the side and gingerly rested on the pink haired girl's shoulder, who answered Kurumu's question, "He... I only caught a small part of it. We were both running to the pool, and he _jumped_ – very high, and far – over the chain-link fence. I lost sight of him until I jumped over everyone that had gathered."

"I saw him land on, I guess it was Tamao-san's head, just as he grabbed you and hopped onto the edge of the pool. It was amazing – he's very fast!" Moka finished explaining the awe-inspiring rescue from her point of view. She had known he was fast, that much had been noted on a few separate occasions. The speed that he got over to her best female friend however, that was quite astounding. Maybe it wasn't so much the speed, but the agility he had displayed – landing on someone's head with full balance.

A light groan of comfortable acknowledgment, too tired to speak but still aware enough to let Moka know she had heard her, and agreed escaped Kurumu. The fact that Tsukune had gotten there right when he did made the young girl forget most of the woes she had felt in what she had perceived as her final moments. She was not only alive to live another day with her Destined One, but Tsukune most certainly wouldn't fall prey to that scheming fish-bitch.

Back outside of the changing room, Tsukune stood rigid, frozen eyes that promised a slow and painful end of some kind to those caught within his gaze. That gaze currently held within them the majority of the inhabitants of the pool. The brunette teen took a calm step forward, his bare feet now resting on the very edge of the pool, having kicked off his shoes moments earlier, "This is how you conduct yourselves, then -luring 'recruits' into your club with the sole plan of devouring them?"

Tamao smiled roguishly, clearly finding his very presence amusing. The grin only grew as the time went on with her silence biting more and more off of Tsukune's rather impressive pool of patience. It didn't help that her silence was counteracted by the open spite that was being tossed around in infuriatingly false whispers, while some of the members had an opposite reaction that was equally infuriating – staring at him, eyes undressing his form and imagining various activities. In this situation,. It only furthered the fuel that burned within his heart.

Seeing that silence was all that he was going to get, Tsukune schooled his face even more into the unreadable slate, his eyes staring out at everything and anything as though it had no worth in the world – not hatred, nor pity; it wasn't even a look of self-importance. The closest comparison was that of a merciless arbitrator whom condemned punishment unto all those within his sight.

At long last the leader of all the mermaids within the school gave a callous laugh, pivoting and lightly oscillating her position in the water, as her hungry, devilish eyes tittered and taunted him, "We're not doing anything _wrong_, Tsukune-_kun_. Luring careless and inattentive men into the waters to be drained dry, that is our way – the way of the Mermaids!"

His head shifted by the smallest of degrees to the side as he eyed the water-attuned Ayashi in perpetual motion. His voice, when he finally spoke, held no warmth and was clipped, concise, "Be that as it may, _you_ and your _ilk_ are outside of your domain. The behavior you are exhibiting is that of an _Ayashi_, where you should be behaving as a _human_."

She and most of her peers scoffed at him in their own ways, demeaning him for siding with humans. He closed his eyes, balling his fists into tight, white-knuckled fists and took a breath. Ignoring their jeers and insults he spoke lowly, his voice almost completely being overtaken by the rude and rambunctious mermaids, "Clearly the discipline of this school is less than arduous in it's implementation. If regulations are to go unenforced, so be it."

The next thing that Tamao knew, she was staring at the gridded white tiles that covered the bottom of the pool with a stinging pain gnawing at her jaw. Making a few chewing motions to ensure it was safe, she rubbed the pained spot and resurfaced, a glare aimed where the brunette teen had last been, only to see the spot vacant. "Where did that delicious man get off to?" The mermaid asked herself, and received the answer a second later when one of her junior club members splashed into the water, floating face-up with half-lidded eyes, snoring. Great, he'd knocked her out.

She spun around to catch sight of him coming down, an ax-kick aimed squarely for another mermaid's head. She screamed a non-verbal warning, but the girl had no time to duck and was sent plunging beneath the water, as Tsukune fell into the water. She grinned and took off, "You've just put yourself right in the perfect spot!"

The teen narrowed his eyes as the mermaid grew closer. It was his turn to truly see the half-fish woman as she jumped from the water with a flourish, apparently trying to intimidate him. Her skin had changed to pale white color, with splotches of blue here and there, like patterns; spots on a Cheetah or Dalmatian. The coloration reversed itself further down her limbs with blue being the primary color, taking complete dominance on her webbed and clawed hands.

Two small fins had grown on the back of her forearms, with a thick sharp spine along the furthest leading edge of the scaly membrane. The skirt which she had been wearing previously seemed to have meshed with her skin and became something akin to a streamer fin – a distraction, much like how the Betta Splendis or Chinese Fighting Fish's fins had evolved to be used in nearly the same manner. Trailing out from beneath the blue and green speckled circular fin was the thick 'fish-half' of her body made from the fusion of her legs, and covered in silvery-blue and aquamarine scales that glittered in the sunlight. Along the sides of her lower half and leading to her tail were three sets of fins, one of which had been sheered in half.

She winked, and at the same time her hair shifted as her direction changed revealing that her ears had become an adapted set of fins which likely directly picked up sound waves in the water – not much use above the pool though, he figured. The last Aono gave a look around, watching for any kind of shimmer or shadow after Tamao had submerged herself once more. It was difficult, as the other mermaids had began to circle and swim about as well, but he was fairly certain that they wouldn't attack – yet. It was guesswork, but he was sure that they wanted to give their 'leader' a shot before they jumped in, too...

Suddenly he felt an itch in the back of his head and went limp, falling backward just in time to see Tamao fly _just_ over him in a light spin, her webbed claws swiping through where his head would have been. He escaped the onslaught, but his choice of evading left him open and he found himself short of breath and pushed under the surface as her powerful tail slammed into his solar-plexus.

Most of his air gone, Tsukune stabilized himself in the water, just in time to see the familiar glittering tail sweep past his vision, and then catch a powerful blow to his back, sending him shooting forward. Wisely, he kept his mouth closed and made nary a sound despite the pain – something he could easily handle – and once more righted himself. He needed to head to the surface to grab more air, soon.

'If she'd not caught me by surprise, I could easily have lasted a good two minutes under here. Damn-it all, my lungs burn!' He hissed mentally as he warily looked around. Briefly the thought of using, or even flashing his Sharingan had popped into his mind, but he quickly set that aside; he had no clue how well her kind could see beneath the water, and he only wanted to reveal the sharingan to those that wouldn't speak of it – ever. For now, that meant death would become them, and currently he wished to maim and hurt the mermaid, but death was a bit of an oversight.

As his head broke the surface, he had time to catch a short, deep breathe before he found his face pounding and aching in such tremendous pain that he'd have sworn that a construction wrecking ball had rammed into him. Checking to ensure his jaw wasn't broken, he grit his teeth and closed his eyes. It took him a few seconds to get into a calm state, in spite of his environs and his exterior aloofness, but he knew he could afford it as so far the Mermaids seemed to exhibit a cat-like desire to toy with their target.

Tsukune concentrated, feeling the energy that ran through his body parallel to his circulatory system – and then some. Feeling the heat of the energy within him, he suddenly stopped the flow for just a second, causing him to cringe in pain and release some air. It felt terrible, like his heart and lungs both were collapsing in on themselves, and every vein in his body had burst – though muted, admittedly. It wasn't something he'd use in any other circumstance, but the fruits of this pain were that in his second of misery, when his inner energy ceased to function for that second, a blast of Nature's raw energy passed through him and gave him a large spherical perception of anything within twenty feet of him.

'My right, coming in fast!' Tsukune confirmed the intuitive image that his excruciating proximity-sensing ability imparted upon him. So much data would have been impossible to sift through for anyone else, but the unique setup in which his brain was wired in order to deal with the massive influx of information from the crimson eyes made him perfectly suited to take in the information in record time.

With a mighty push, Tsukune used all his might to move himself through the water and effectively dodged the mermaid's strike by a good two-foot. The young woman-turned-monster snarled at him, both surprised and angry at the apparent 'ease' he had evaded her attack. His lips twitched into an ironic smile for a second, 'That was no 'easy' feat. Won't be able to repeat that today.'

He was unprepared for a sharp slice to tear through his side, enticing a gasp of surprise that then had him coughing up the inhaled water. His hand shot to his side, covering the nearly two-centimeter in diameter set of scratches that ran along the side of his pectoral, 'My arm was high enough to avoid that strike. Luck. I will _not_ rely on such things; it will _not_ happen again.'

Tsukune surfaced and took a gulp of fresh air, using his resilience that he had taught himself and which had been refined by Asura to lock his pain receptors into a temporary dampened state as he dove right back down, going until he hit the bottom. Tsukune ran several plans through his head and decided to try out an idea which had _just_ cropped up; pushing enough energy into his eyes that the Sharingan would activate with just a tiny bit more.

Doing just that, he felt a swell of pride in his abilities as his eyesight became a bit crisper. While the mermaid still blended into the water well, he could now see Tamao's form darkening the overall lighting of the water as she swam around him, keeping him on his toes until she decided to strike. His neck once more tickled, and his eyes widened a pinch as he swirled around beneath the water, barely evading a swipe aimed for his back.

'So the time for Tamao's games have ended, then?' Tsukune questioned rhetorically, spinning backwards to evade yet another swipe by Tamao, herself. His eyes narrowed only to close tight as a powerful force smashed into the back of his head, sending him shooting through the water much like a torpedo, stopping nearly eight feet away- nearly traveling a tenth of the one-hundred foot long pool. Pushing the pain from that strike beneath the influence of his dampened nerves, the submerged young man spun around and dodged yet another strike from a mermaid.

Gritting his teeth, bolstered as much raw strength into his right leg as he could and kicked the mermaid directly in the back, right where her torso and tail connected, sending her to the bottom of the pool. Hard. Seeing that she wasn't moving, Tsukune payed the mermaid no mind, caring little towards her safety.

Another mermaid made to attack him, only she got an elbow to the back of the head after he spun to avoid her swipe. A blast of foaming bubbles escaped her, but Tsukune didn't stop his onslaught; he grabbed her by the hair and yanked her back, kneeing her right between the shoulder blades and then kicking her hard in the back – just as he did the last mermaid.

The brunette boy didn't care to watch yet another mermaid sink to the bottom of the pool, instead he kept his eyes focused on the numerous amounts of the carnivorous hybrid women circling him, much like sharks did to an impending meal. Without warning _three_ mermaids came towards him from three different directions, though they were all within his line of sight. Thinking quickly, he pushed his limbs as hard as he could, shooting up out of their 'trap' and to the surface quickly. Not waiting to see any results, he dove back down, grabbing a mermaid by her tail and swinging her into another of her kind, stunning the one hit and sending the one he had used as a weapon soaring to the surface, unconscious.

Another sharp stabbing brought a mild grimace to bare along with a cloud of red mist that was his blood burning his vision. Having no choice but to close his eyes until he got out of his own pool of blood that was seeping from another wound – this one on his abdomen – he couldn't defend himself from the hard strike that knocked the wind out of him and send him upwards until he was stopped by another pair of sharp tears digging into his back.

'Alright... This has gone on long enough; it's time.' Tsukune grunted, encouraging himself to move with a mix of determination and anger. Half-closing his eyes, Tsukune felt for his energy again, causing a thin grin to form – hollow as it was. As yet another swarm of mermaids approached, the brunette teen swam around them, angering his pursuers and causing them to give chase, whilst another group joined the fray soon after.

Though he knew that his would-be hunters understood the fact that he was leading them in circles, they certainly didn't seem to care. It was likely that they assumed they would chase him until he either tired out or they could claw at him – he wasn't going to get away from them in _their_ domain, after-all!

Keeping count on the total mermaids following him was a difficult thing to do, but he estimated that of the roughly forty remaining, he had a good twelve on his tail. At long last he acquiesced to his predators' whims and came to a stop; ending his tirade of circles and figure eights he had lead them through. All at once the mermaids which had been giving chase dashed towards their delicious delicacy that Tamao was all too happy to let them get a taste of.

He waited as they closed in, closer and closer. The closer they got to him, the more his face became set in stone – cool and calm, though if one looked close enough they'd be able to see the veins in his forehead bulge slightly, and the same with his neck. Finally, at long last, the mermaids got within three feet of him in almost all directions and his eyes snapped open.

Tamao, essentially three 'rows' back in the school of her fellow mermaids which were descending down onto their prize, grinned and absently wondered just how he would taste. He smelled of delicious, like that of a human. It wasn't something that she had the luxury of tasting yet, but her mother – rest her soul – had told her that she would _love_ the taste of their liquids and energy. To honor her mother, and in genuine general curiosity, she couldn't wait to sink her teeth into his nice, muscular body and have a taste for herself – even if he only smelled like a human.

She rushed forward, overtaking a 'row' of her kind, intending to take the first bite out of him after her extended family and friends took their frustration out on his body for leading them on as he did – in their own territory! Her eyes gleamed brightly with the desire – lust, even – to taste him; to drain hm dry and leave him in a watery grave. To t_hink_, the fool had given up a night with _her_ before this happened! What a waste. 'Oh well, I get first prize either way!'

Erika, one of her best friends and the second-best swimmer in the Swimming Club was a row ahead of her, her auburn hair shifting through the self-made currents like a living entity. She knew not to do anything but harm the human-smelling teen, and she trusted the girl with her life. Clad in a cream, near-flesh colored strapless 'chest-band' top and her glittering ruby and gold tail propelling her, Erika readied her webbed claw and started the motion that would bring on the slaughter, as it were.

Then, there was a loud 'thunk', like a metal drum being beaten beneath the sea. Confusion only had a second to register before the sound of a vacuum – of sloshing and sucking on a massive scale – deafened their ears and white, then black overcame their vision as pounds upon pounds of pressure crushed in on them, gagging Tamao, her right hand Erika, and all the rest of the mermaids.

Confusion and panic roused the groggy mermaids who immediately clutched their forms, feeling as though they'd just gone through an iron press, crushing every inch of their body. They would all agree later on that every inch of them was bruised severely, but at the present time, they tried to keep their bearings through the tumultuous pounding of their head's and the lack of a center of gravity which they all found themselves afflicted with.

Tamao, one of the first to recover, finally noticed that Tsukune was no-where to be seen and groaned as she forced herself to speed up towards the surface, a grimace on her lips with every movement her lower body made. Through it all – the anger, the surprise, embarrassment, disappointment and pain – the mermaid found herself sporting a mental smile. She'd never, not_ once_, heard of a land-dwelling monster besting many water-dwellers, especially mermaids which were among the top three beings that could control their territory with an iron grip.

This man, this Tsukune Aono, he was certainly one surprise after another. It intrigued her, that one such as he could best her, and her harem of fellow mermaids in their own element – so far. She intended to drain his life-force from him, but until then she'd watch him during their fight – study him, and learn from him.

Above the water, standing on the ten-foot tall diving board with dripping clothes clinging to his form with little hope of letting go, was Tsukune. His brown hair lay matted and stuck to his face, though he'd brushed the thick, water-logged strands that fell in his eyes to the side. Chocolate eyes frigid as the icy winds that bombarded the Yukon stared down onto the water's surface, awaiting one – or more – of the mermaids to surface.

His escape had been planned the moment he escaped the first three mermaids that converged on him. Due to his lack of concentration however, he couldn't simply initiate his tactic right away, so he had to incrementally build up his energy into his muscles, condensing it more and more, until his muscles literally burned from the stress of being charged. It took him all of five minutes, dodging and rolling out of attacks, and gaining several trailing mermaids just waiting to make the kill, but the time had finally come.

Tsukune floated to the bottom and waited for them to get closer to him, building more and more energy into his muscles despite the strain that it put on him. At long last, he released the pint up energy which was instantly absorbed by his muscles, lightly engorging themselves temporarily whilst using the extra as an extreme source of adrenaline. The result was a very fast jump in his rate of movement, enough that he moved at a speed rapid enough to keep up with his three-tomoe sharingan, for a short time.

Specifically, three seconds. It was enough time to evade something disastrous, or make a surprise kill or strike on an unsuspecting opponent. It wasn't a fix-all, though; he had to wait a few minutes before he could charge his muscles to _that_ level again, though minor, half-second jumps could be made with minimal effort. Furthering the issue was that he could only charge his muscles to that five-second level, perhaps ten times a day before they'd tear, leaving him helpless for the better part of a week to a month.

The ability had been happened upon during a stressful, frustrating time in his training two nights after he'd placed himself into his hermitage – if you could call it that. He'd charged his body chock-full with his energy until he could barely handle it and tried to kick a training dummy he'd made from woodland scraps. He kicked, alright – he kicked and tore through the dummy, then spun on his ass for two and a half more seconds, where he promptly puked.

Training from then on had included his usage of what he'd begun to call 'Flash-point', due the fact that he'd literally flash out of existence. Currently he was sure it looked like a blur, unless caught off guard – then it would seem like a teleportation, which it most certainly wasn't. His goal was to get his Flash-point's endurance – or rather his muscle's tolerance for the Flash-point – to the point that he could do it for a longer time. He'd already gotten a tenth of a second added onto it since discovering the ability.

Below him, Tamao's head pierced the surface of the water and her aquamarine eyes instantly spotted the taciturn chocolate pair that were staring right down at her, no emotion visible within them – though one got the feeling that his contempt ran deep. Giving him a predatory grin, Tamao admonished him, "You're not supposed to splash in the pool!"

Placing his hands within his soaked and rather tick feeling pockets, Tsukune titled his head lower, "Nor, Tamao-sempai, are you supposed to devour those whom attend Youkai Academy, but I see that's not inhibited your actions."

Pursing her pale pink lips, she hid the fact that his ironic statement vexed her. Instead, she swam in a wide arc to the far side of the pool and cocked her head to the side some, mussing with her black hair which wasn't so much as thick or soggy, "It's how my race works – men get in the water, and we drain them of their energy and liquids. I can't help it that the school doesn't provide an alternative for us."

Narrowing his eyes whilst the edge of his lips upturned into a crooked, one-sided smirk, the host of the sharingan motioned over to the main building in the distance with his left arm, "It's in the handbook; monsters who survive off of alternative sources will have suitable supplements to their diet. Mermaids – like you – are allowed an injection of nutrients and mammalian fluid, which you can obtain from the infirmary. At _any_ time."

Many emotions flashed over the woman-turned-monster's face, from shock to petulance, but the most prominent and reoccurring was anger. She simply floated within her own bubble of malice, glaring up at him, although to be fair she had something on her mind, otherwise she'd likely have yelled up at him – taunted him, or simply attacked him.

It took nearly thirty seconds of silent stares before she irritably sighed, "I don't like needles – they scare me! Besides; it feels like a disgrace to have to get an _injection_ of nutrients, when _I_ can take advantage of these mindless sex-driven poor fools that will just _jump_ into the water to become prey."

"You openly refuse to conform to the regulation, despite the fact that an alternate path exists for you?" Tsukune rhetorically asked her, the sarcasm and disappointment in his words dripping from every syllable, like a thick tar. She rolled her eyes at the teen far above her, "I refuse to be stuck by a needle like – like some _sick_ child!"

For whatever reason she spat the last two words of her sentence as if they were burning her very tongue, like acid. She dove beneath the water and seconds later was half the height to him in the air. He watched curiously as her cheeks bulged slightly with an intake of breath, then barely jumped out of the way as she released a clear, spinning blast of water the size of a tennis ball. Beneath his aerial position the diving board splintered in several directions as the water bullet slammed into the plastic and fiber-glass blue overhang.

Tamao had fallen into the water at roughly the same time the water blast had destroyed the diving board, and Tsukune joined her a second later. However his arrival in the pool caused the entire area to suddenly became uproarious, fins and tails swimming and splashing around his, churning the water for a quite intimidating effect.

Three separate mermaids attempted to behead him with their claws, and four more tried to slam him with their lower bodies', but all of them failed. 'If I can defeat Tamao, these other mermaids will likely stand down... Unfortunately, she'll hide amongst them until they're all dispatched more than likely.' Tsukune rationalized, as he had yet to see Tamao since he had fallen back into the watery hell.

Almost as if by an ironic twist, he felt the familiar itch of danger on his neck, but he was too late. Two strong arms wrapped around his chest, sharp, black claws pressing into his chest and abdomen with enough force to just _not_ tear through his wet clothing and into his flesh. His breath sucked in slowly in an attempt to calm himself from the sudden intrusion of his personal space – especially in such a precarious situation.

A dark, husky feminine voice breathed upon the nape of his neck, as he felt two firm globes press into his back and the very, very warm skin of his captor warming disown which was being cooled from the water. "There's no reason to panic, Tsukune-_kun_... You're _special_, after-all."

His eyes widened as he felt her rough, but very warm tongue lick a bead of water from the nape of his neck to below his earlobe. Her claws tightened as he shifted his form and she 'tutted' in disapproval of his actions. "You're _mine_ now... Do you know how much_ trouble_ you've been? Trying to best our kind in the water..." Tamao derided him, laughing mockingly with a merry trill to the tune, furthering the insult.

"What is it you want?" His voice was still as deadened as before, not belaying the mild surprise or dread that ran through is body. He was now in the personal grasp of an apex predator of the seas – one which could personally end his life and drag him beneath the water abyss to devour him. He wasn't worried when it was a simply stab, slice or slam that they incurred upon him – that was escapable and survivable. This – this was as close to a worst case scenario as he could imagine up whilst fighting mermaids.

He felt her breath on his neck before she shifted, slowly moving to his side whilst dragging her firm breasts along him. They weren't near as soft as Kurumu's, and if he had to guess, he'd say that they were as firm as a pair could get naturally without them being filled with silicon. She let out a dark chortle, almost amused by his question, before she answered, "I've had my eyes on you... You're quite a sight to watch, you know? You're also very easy to _lose_ – a fact that I saw first-hand earlier. Hmm."

The chocolate brown eyes widened an inconsiderable amount as the eyes which had been staring at him, studying him as though he were prey, finally clicked into place. It was _her - _ she had been the one to follow him, desiring his death, yet wishing to taste him before that time. He felt embarrassed and foolish for not connecting the look she'd given him earlier with the one which had been staring at him from an anonymous source.

"I must be lucky that you sent your _dear, sweet_ _Kurumu_ into our lair," Tamao trailed off, a small almost cruel smile darkening her pale lips. It evened out quickly as she continued, speaking low into his ear, "You came running for her, and you ran right into _my_ arms."

"What possible reason would you have for such a desire? Clearly your kind has no discretion as to their prey – so long as they are male and within the water." Somehow his dull monotone held a bite within it, a sharp jab at her integrity. It irritated her that he was so capable of digging beneath her skin; and he hadn't even known her for an entire _day!_

Circling around to his front, the self-proclaimed 'lead swimmer' smiled a sultry smile that was clearly false – the look within her eyes marred any illusions of that. Her hands were now gripping his shoulders, just short of drawing blood and her breasts had finally fell short of pressing into him. He let a silent breath escape him and cocked his head to the side to counter the strange look the woman gave him as she inhaled, "Mmm, you have such a _delectable scent_, Tsukune-kun..."

Narrowing his eyes into a half-lidded glare, he effectively hid the mild shock that hit him as her cheeks began to gain strange lesions, yet no blood spilled from them. They spread across her flawless face until they connected and began to gain a depth, flaking open slightly, revealing a lighter flesh color that he -at first – thought to be blood. In one disgusting shift, her jaw snapped and her mouth opened incredibly wide, revealing two sets of teeth, one set right behind the other and just as sharp as the first set. Down her throat, he could also see tiny teeth, much the same way a cat's tongue had small bristles on it – or a Red-fish had toothed gills.

"It's almost like a _human!_" She hollered directly at him, preparing to take a large bite out of him – likely taking his face with whatever else happened to be snagged by her teeth. One thing was certain, he was a crafty bastard; he always had a contingency in place and this was no exception. Tamao's mouth tore into his body, snapping his head and neck, but her groans of pleasure turned to confusion and she immediately released her ' kill' to find he was no longer there and her mouth was filled with a splintered piece of the diving board

Spitting the dupe out, she roared a feminine cry of rage and dove beneath the water, 'Where the _fuck_ did that little shit get to!? He thinks he can _escape_?' Her tail propelled her with powerful strokes through the water, and she cared little for her fellow mermaids as she pushed those that didn't evade her war-path right out of the way, sometimes sending them to the walls and floor.

It didn't take long for her to find her 'catch'; he had somehow escaped to half-way across the pool, but her speed wasn't praised within her family for nothing. Her modified jaws popped open and snapped onto Tsukune, only for the familiar sounds of a thump, followed by a vacuum to register before a light pain tackled her body from all over. It didn't hurt near as much as earlier and she wasn't disoriented either, so the moment she escaped the odd cascade of water-within-water, she caught sight of him over ten feet away, fending off another mermaid.

Instead of striking, she watched as he punched her in the stomach, doubling the water-dwelling woman over as a blast of foam and bubbles escaped her petite mouth. He then elbowed the back of her head, sending her below him, where he stomped once more on her back. It wasn't anything she hadn't seen before, so she motioned for a few more mermaids to go after him.

Tsukune grunted, having just dispatched yet another mermaid that had decided to go after him, he wasn't in the mood for another group, - which is exactly what came after him. He ducked beneath a head-cleaving slice and spun out of the way of what had been an attempted pincer-move by two additional mermaids. He couldn't dodge the slam by the first mermaid's tail into his stomach but he kept his composure, expecting the tactic and thus absorbed it enough that he kept his bearings. His hands gripped the woman's tail and he nodded to himself silently, 'I've got nine more left.'

He released his hold on his second 'Flash-point', and his body shot away in a large jet-stream of water, shooting high above the surface of the pool. Without his Sharingan activated, the movement was instantaneous and slightly jarring, but with his training he had gotten to where he didn't feel nauseated anymore. Fifteen feet above the water, Tsukune swung the half-lucid mermaid around him and launched her back towards the water where she belly-flopped before sinking slowly.

As he plunged back into the depths of the pool with his arms crossed over his chest, he was startled when he had to duck his head quickly to avoid Tamao's swipe over his head, but he felt a sharp stab and found that her fore-arm fin's spine had stuck him in his side and while it wasn't terribly painful, she didn't gently remove it – she yanked it free, tearing a split into his punctured skin. She then snapped at him with her massive jaws, almost taking his leg.

The thin line his lips had been pressed into became a ghosting confidence that was just hinted at on his expression as he preformed a backwards somersault within the water over her attempt to take his leg. A foot found itself planted into the back of her head, and he reached back and gripped a thin string of cloth to pull himself closer to her whilst kneeing her repeatedly in her spine. She struggled against his grip and writhed in the repeated flares of pain, but she simply couldn't shake him.

Finally, Tsukune released his hold on her after she spun quickly. He didn't leave her without a final strike imparted on the resilient woman, in the form of a kidney-punch. Tamao swam in a descending circle, gripping her side wth a furious snarl which looked downright horrid with her enlarged jaws and super-wide mouth.

The brunette teen watched it all in morbid satisfaction, opening his hand to release a tiny bit of blue string which had snapped from the cloth he'd held onto. He didn't watch for long as many more mermaids attempted to rush him. Forward thrust of her claws towards Tsukune's chest, and the teen wasn't there, though a very small ripple of water that collapsed on itself lay in his wake. That very same mermaid's vision went dark as a powerful punch slammed into her temple.

Another caught an elbow to the nose, bloodying the cartilage slope on her face, followed by a palm-thrust between her breast that launched her painfully into the solid wall of the in-ground pool. The nail in the coffin came when his knee rammed into her solar-plexus, knocking all the air from her lung and for added measure, Tsukune grabbed her by the throat and sent her barreling through the water where she flew into the air and landed roughly on the concrete deck.

Heading to the surface to gain a breath of fresh air gave the brunette teen a moment to think until a tail attempted to crush his head against the side of the pool. His head hit the concrete, but faded away right afterward. In return, the young man grabbed the woman from behind and choked her breath out of her in just enough time to toss her down so she wouldn't be caught whilst he dodged to the side to avoid a stabbing thrust of black, webbed claws.

Ready to defend himself from the other woman's assault, he wasn't quite prepared for a strong hand to snake around his neck from behind and drag him down to the bottom, where he was smashed into the tiled bottom of the floor. It didn't stop there, though, he could feel his larynx being crushed underneath the water Ayashi's grip. The entire group had started to descend upon him, including about a quarter of the ones which he had knocked out that had been awakened from their untimely 'nap'.

The one holding him moved away, only for two to grab him by either of his arms and begin to tug him in opposite direction, coming ever closer to dislocating his shoulders from their sockets. His attention didn't focus on his arms for long however, as a few mermaids circled in on him and began to beat him with their very muscular lower bodies. They were so strong that if his ribs weren't being splintered or fractured, then he knew he would be bruised purple and black the day after.

He closed his eyes and forced a false sense of serenity over his psyche. The sheer amount of pain he was feeling was straining his capacity for numbing it and with ever new source of pain the amount to which his other pain was numbed was spread out – lessened. Now he barely had twenty percent of the pain dulled, and it was causing him to loose his focus mentally.

It was near impossible, but he held an iron-grip on the last shred of focus he had left before he lost himself to the sheer repeating flares and aches of pain that tore into him. He knew that what he was doing was likely a foolish endeavor, and maybe such a thing would be considered out of the norm for him... Such a thought was precisely what he was going for – daring, and uncertainty as it would be the one thing these mermaids wouldn't quite expect.

Tsukune grit his teeth hard as his right shoulder popped free from it's socket, but he didn't let it phase him anymore than he let the five new punctures into his chest phase him. He could feel his muscles burning and his bones shifting – creaking with the duress being placed on them. A strong, painful burning in his eyes finally caught his attention, as he'd ignored the other tell-tale signs of danger his senses gave him – the itching of the neck and the invasion of personal space.

As his fatigued chocolate eyes snapped open he watched as Tamao's jaws retracted into her more human shape and once again her cheeks bulged like before. She winked at him, aquamarine eyes filled with a malice and cruelty that only a scorned woman could display as she opened her mouth and shut her eyes, releasing a massive soft-ball sized spinning globe of water that left in it's wake a jet-stream of displaced water as it headed to him.

Without a warning, Tsukune was no longer in the place where he had been, and the two mermaids which had been holding onto him, trying to rip his limbs off from his torso in the most painful way were gone as well. This was all Tamao, as well as the rest of the mermaids were able to garner before the powerful displacement of water collapsed in on itself, churning and pushing a massive concussion force – larger than the first one the black-haired Ayashi had been caught in. She tried her best to swim away from it, but the water filling in the displaced space was fighting her struggle and in the end, she was hit with it.

Above the visible rippling water, the host of the Sharingan glared out over the water standing a silent vigil with narrowed, tired eyes. His left arm hung limp at his side and the two mermaids which he'd dragged along with him lay beside him. They had passed out themselves the moment he began move, having vomited – apparently when you only survive on liquid, liquid is what comes out; little more than water – and went limp within a second of movement.

Despite his steady stance, he felt weaker than he had ever before. He had only practiced his Flash-point on land, and while he could naturally move fast in short bursts, it wasn't anything close to his new ability. The apparent problem was that it took significantly much more energy to move a quarter of the distance and speed in water as it did on land.

In addition to that, Tsukune had pushed much more energy than ever before into his muscles and he was certain that while he didn't rip his muscles, he would be weakened for a few days. 'Hopefully... the displacement that _should_ occur in the water will make the extra expenditure worth it.'

So tired was he that he didn't even feel the malicious energy in the air coming from behind him, within the changing room. He wouldn't realize what had happened and the calamity that could have occurred for several more days. As it was, Tsukune couldn't feel a single thing – in the state he was, the pain he was feeling had become so intense that it became – counter-intuitive to logic – bearable.

Many minutes seemed to pass as Tsukune waited; he knew that Tamao, at least, would recover from the concussive displacement that his Flash-point caused within the water. She had taken all of his attempts to put her down so far in stride, so he knew that this one wouldn't phase her, either. 'Soon enough... You and I will finish this foolish quarrel, Tamao-sempai.'

Four minutes passed and finally a disturbance in the water caught Tsukune's eyes, and he slide to the side as a tiny, diminutive bullet of water shot from the surface of the water and dissipated a good fifteen feet behind him in the air. Her turned his aloof gaze towards the water, awaiting another sign for her location – specifically he wished for her to surface and finish the fight quickly, but it seemed that she was planning to stick to her element until the very end.

'Smart strategy... Yet it will be her downfall, in the end.' Tsukune wisely thought to himself and dodged yet another small condensed ball of water that had been shot at him. He had noticed that it had come from roughly the exact same spot, 'Already, you're becoming complacent. For such resilience, you're an imbecile Tamao-san.'

Three more bullets were shot at him, all of which he dodged with great ease. It was like she couldn't properly aim – or she wasn't trying. He eyed the water suspiciously as a tiny frown pulled at the corners of his lips, 'What is it you're planning?'

His answer came moments later as a larger, baseball sized water bullet shot out of the water, which he dodged with a bit of difficulty. The speed and accuracy that shot had was quite an improvement, but it proved to be a distraction as a glittering ruby and gold scaled tail suddenly popped out of the water right against the concrete 'deck' around the pool and tried to knock his feet out from under him. He jumped over the attempt, but couldn't move out of the way of the real, true attack.

The green-tinted blonde punched him with her human fist, and ran over to him where she kicked him in his side. He groaned and pushed himself up, only to get another swift kick in the side. She was set to deliver another kick, but a purple blur flew past him and took with it a girly scream. He snorted in amusement with a grateful smile, 'Kurumu... I'll have to remember to thank you after this is over.'

"Ayumi! You fat bimbo, drop her!" The shrill voice of another mermaid screeched, after Kurumu had apparently swiped up her friend – this Ayumi character. He pushed himself up and noticed that it was the dark redheaded girl who had been with Tamao when she'd attempted to recruit them all. Looking around, he couldn't see the leader of the Swim Club though; she was still in hiding.

"Ayumi... Your concern for your friend is ill-placed, though admirable." That caught the young woman's ear, bringing her attention towards him. Her dark brown eyes were wide, belaying shock before a fury ignited within them and she ran towards him with a battle-cry. She swung wide, a strike that he could have easily dodge but didn't. Instead, he caught her fist and bent her wrist backwards, eliciting a whimper and then a cry of pain from the spunky teen.

"S-stop, please! I- I'm sor-" Her pleading was silenced as her twisted her wrist side-ways as well as back, making her scream in order to silence her. Tsukune eyed her without a single shred of sympathy and hissed out at her, his voice low and deadly – so much like his monotone, yet so different, "Your pleads will not work; you most certainly didn't accede to the pleads by the others."

He pushed her down to the ground, her front against the damp cement as he brought her wrist behind her and put her in a full submission, "I should rid the world of your existence... Much like you did to those who were unfortunate enough to join the Swimming Club."

She whimpered, but managed to grind out a segmented sentenced, "They – not – still – alive."

The brunette sharingan host schooled his features, becoming placid and lost a bit of the macabre undertone within his voice as he loosened his grip on her arm just a bit, "They're alive you say? How, explain yourself."

"We just... drained them of most of their y-youki, and s-some of -_ah_- their bodily fluids, _uhn_!" She grunted at the end as Tsukune pulled her up and held her in a loose submission hold, watching above the pool as Kurumu flew slower than usual, with less agility but still managed to torment the one known as Ayumi, tossing her into the air and catching her.

"Good. You will still be of use to me – Tamao-sempai has yet to surface, and she likely suspects that you two will tire me out, allowing her to make an easy kill." Tsukune observed and gave voice to his suspicion. Hearing a painful and worried grunt from the girl as he tightened his grip upon a shift in her weight, he indulged her obvious concern, " She can see from beneath the water, at least moderately well. You are my hostage to show that her plan didn't work – she will have to surface, or I'll simply dispose of you."

"Wha – _ughn_! What d-do you mean!?" She squeaked out through the pain, scrambling most of her words and thoughts. She felt her considerable chest heave from the odd position she was in, tilted forward with only her nettling arm keeping her from falling face-first into the water. Despite the fact that she would be safer in the water, Erika simply couldn't, for the life of her, see how falling into the water would be a good alternative. The man holding her would likely find some way to end her before she even his the comforting liquid.

Her fear wasn't as abtruse as she would have liked; Tsukune knew the exact thoughts running through the redhead's mind, and it was exactly the effect he had wanted – despite not quite incurring it, himself. He knew that psychological warfare was easily one of the most important factors within a fight, or indeed, any situation in life; if your opposition could be intimidated properly, then there was little that you couldn't get done with the proper manipulations.

She was in far too much pain to struggle, and was too terrified for her life to attempt to fight past the pain in order to escape into the water. Therefore she wasn't in any position to complain as the brunette school-boy lowered her slightly closer to the water and ignored her cries of fear and pain as he addressed the mermaid still in hiding, "You're not as heartless as you act, and despite the fact that you'd endanger others' lives for the sake of your hunger, I know that these two – your last ditch efforts – aren't pawns."

He paused and cast an appraising, scrutinizing gaze over the pool. It wouldn't take much, a shimmering that doesn't match the natural surface ripple, a small counter ripple, or a shadow moving beneath the waters. Any of those would be enough for him to pinpoint the head mermaid, but it would only be a partial victory – he wasn't going to get back into the water; she would have to come to him.

Not seeing anything after a minute had passed caused a very faint irritation to prick at the back of his mind. Tamao was testing him, trying to see how long she could drag it out as she tried to make a contingency plan. Very subtly, he nodded his head, 'Aimlessly plan, waste your time. It will only hurt you, in the end.'

Erika never understood what had crawled up the cute brunette's ass to cause him to be so cold, and the cruelty he was about to display would only worry her – have her questioning the continuity of her very short life. All she knew was that her arm jarred some before her pinky had been grabbed and pulled to the side until the pain tore at her sight, leaving purple spots at the edges of her vision. Then, a deft crack could be faintly heard and she suddenly forgot _all _ about her arm and screamed bloody murder directly into the water, having no room to raise her head to the heavens to release her cry of anguish.

The apathetic chocolate eyes belonging to the calm teen scanned the water for another minute, yet there was still not a single sign to hint that Tamao was moving or nearing the surface. A single, disappointed sigh left his semi-parted lips as he grabbed the girl's ring finger, "She has four more chances before her wrist is broken, and then her elbow. If I make it to the shoulder, her natural life will be cut short – I _will_ destroy her rotatory-cup."

He caught a light shimmering and felt the edge of his lips curve upward and watched the shimmering turn into a light shadow, which then became a moderate silhouette. However she stopped there, floating just out of view. For a moment he thought she might be planning to attack him with another water blast, but after a good thirty seconds with no action, Tsukune shook his head, "I said surface, Tamao-sempai. Unfortunately, you've wasted your move."

The young woman's whimpering started up again, this time it escalated quickly, causing her to hyperventilate some as she anticipated the phantom pain which was to become corporeal. _Crack!_

She screamed and in that moment, Tamao's head popped above the wave with horror in her eyes, "Please! Please, just _stop!"_

The black haired mermaid looked her friend over, a silent apology passing between her and the acceptance of said palliation being sent back by the auburn mermaid in human guise. She smiled appreciatively and watched with bated breath as Ayami was set down by the succubus who'd been tormenting the -unknown to Kurumu – acrophobic mermaid.

Seeing her two friends and most trusted confidants safe, she turned her attention to Tsukune and sent him a look filled with shifting a and complicated emotions. He could clearly see the fear, and just a easily was the anger she felt towards him. Deeper down, there was an attraction, a diminished hunger, and some sense of mild depression or perhaps self-doubt. Obviously embarrassment crossed her as well, but it was brief, and clearly the most shameful to the woman.

Understanding her desire, Tsukune glanced to the redhead whom he still held in submission and motioned for her to come closer. Oddly, the mermaid blushed and the struggle was evident on her face on whether she should concede to his demands, or ignore them. Clearly knowing what would happen, she hesitantly came closer until she was five feet from the the edge of the pool which was fifty feet across, "Now, let Erika go."

Without a second thought, he gently released the girl's arm and lightly guided her away from the edge, never taking his eyes off of the head of the Swimming Club. She seemed to be compliant enough now, but he knew that any moment she could become a ravenous, feral bitch. After having a stare-down for a few minutes, he addressed her , "Rise from the water; we have a quarrel to settle, Tamao-sempai."

Again, her cheeks flustered and she averted her gaze some while not making any indication of moving. He held the irritation back beneath his calm demeanor and cocked his head to the side, "Will you not comply with this?"

She never made a move to answer him, but the flustering of her cheeks increased nearly three-fold. Her aquamarine orbs kept darting up to meet his own, however they would quickly falter back to his chest, or the cement 'deck', or the water. It seemed that she wasn't planning on leaving the water beyond her head, 'Why must I be forced to resort to ultimatums?' With a visible but inaudible sigh, Tsukune's aloof chocolate eyes frosted over, "By your silence, my choice has been made, unfortunately; Erika's shoulder shall be irreparably shattered."

He pivoted with an alien grace and began to take sharp, measured steps towards the trembling girl who dared not run – too afraid of this near-mechanical teen's apparent dispassionate cruelty, and more so what he would do if she did run – what _else _he would do. He was half-way between his previous spot and Erika who was a mere four feet away when Tamao screamed out to him, "Fine! _Fine!_ I'll get out, just... don't hurt her, anymore."

He stopped immediately, looking over his shoulder to watch her fulfill this new iteration of the seconds old compromise. Her cheeks were completely beet-maroon as she came closer to the side of the pool whilst simultaneously bringing herself ever closer to the surface. She stopped for a moment, and he felt the atmosphere change; a certain weight suddenly absent off of his being, 'Must have returned to human form.'

A single, dainty hand with light opal colored polish gripped onto the top rung of the metal ladder. Two sloshing footfalls were heard before her hand left the rung and grabbed onto the hooping anchors-and-handles of the ladder, and her head raised into sight, cheeks even more flustered than before. Her swung her head, letting all of her jet-black hair which looked not a second wet fall behind her and rest on her soaked back.

Raising an eyebrow at her obvious hesitance, he commented, "It would be a great deal easier for you to use your other hand; such is the reasoning for the dual appendages. Unless, of course, I managed to dismember during our tryst."

It caused a shiver to travel down her cool spine with the ease and lack of any real open aggression or pity he had said it with. She shook her head to rid herself of the sudden cobwebs and shot a tiny glare his way, brows knitted slightly that was offset by the slight quivering of her bottom lip, "I... Can't."

The disbelieving look that had become fixed upon her was answered with a sudden flash of rage. His muscles instinctively flexed as she erupted into a sudden flash of movement, hopping up the ladder as if it was little more than a tiny hop – like that from the paved road to sidewalk. It took him a moment to register just what he was seeing, but when he did he found himself speechless, though due to his nature, it wasn't noticed.

She stood before him, a look defiance and rancor marring her attractive face. Her cheeks had somehow grown darker than just moments before, however the cause of that was plain as day before him as well as everyone else who viewed the scene he was witnessing. She stood in a stance, as if displaying herself, legs spread apart and arms out wide. However, unlike a full display, her arms bent at the elbow and gestured with splayed fingers and open palms the cause of her reluctance to appear on land.

Absent from it's obvious place was the blue-green scaled bikini top which Tamao _had_ been wearing during most of the fight. Standing as she was now, baring herself Tsukune could only thank his unique ability to lock his emotions down, otherwise the blush and wide eyes that would plague him would have been active full-force. Her breasts stood out, perky and round. They lost a little of their lift that the top gave them, but it was still fairly maintained due to the firmness of the two globes of flesh. Thin tan-lines added a contrast to the tanned flesh, and allowed a nice focus on the light brown aureola and tiny peck of a nipple within the center of each breast.

"This," She hissed out, exasperated and embarrassed all in one, lightly touching the exposed breasts with wide, enraged eyes, "is why I didn't want to come out of the water! _You._ You tore my top off sometime in the water, and it got away from me during that last little stunt you pulled!"

Kurumu suddenly darted over to Tsukune and yanked his head away from the sight he was beholding and shoved it into her breasts, cheeks alight and eyes glaring icy daggers at the topless mermaid, "Don't you _dare_ use such underhanded tactics to try to steal my Tsukune-kun away; that's just _low_."

"Says the kettle shoving his head into her oversized chest. Hmph." That simple comment caused a fire to light inside the little succubus who only jammed her beloved's head deeper within her bosom and shook her fist at the water-monster. She was suddenly halted as Tsukune pushed his head out from the confining prison, struggling between whether he should scold the succubus or gently tell her to leave the business between he and the mermaid.

After a second her settled for giving a stern look at the young seductress, "While your enthusiasm and protectiveness are appreciated, I do not need your help at this moment. Sit with Moka."

Slightly dejected, the Succubus complied. It was only until she was half-way there that she realized that he hadn't glared at her, nor had he scolded her for her actions. He'd actually said that he appreciated her enthusiasm – not so much the way she expressed it – yet, but it was progress. The last leg of the trek was made with a shit-eating grin.

Turning back to Tamoa, he noted that she had covered herself up using her left arm, keeping her right by her side with a guarded look in her aquamarine eyes and visible anger fluctuating through despite her attempt to hold it in, "Prepare yourself, Tamao-sempai."

Widening her eyes, she looked around quickly and shifted her weight, "What? You still want to fight? I don't even have a top; at least let me cover myself properly."

"Fight as you are, or I will end you without contest as you foolishly worry about your modesty," Tsukune stated cooly, shrugging his shoulder to show he really couldn't care which one she chose. Asura had insured that he was prepared to fight in any situation, even without a shred of clothing. Since then, he found that anyone who initiated a fight with him and dared to have an issue when they lacked clothing – whether it was destroyed, lost, or otherwise misplaced – were not quite as focused on the task at hand. In his weakened state, this was the perfect way to fight the damnable woman.

She had just gotten into stance, still nervous about fighting in the nude when he sped toward her. She barely had time to block the jab he made at her stomach, which was immediately countered with a sweep to her heel, almost knocking her down. She huffed out a nervous breath and made to punch him in the face, but he caught her fist and yanked her towards him.

Just as she was about to bump chests with him, his knee shot out for her stomach, but due to her being an inch taller in the legs than his five-foot eight frame, he caught her not in the solar-plexus but right in her navel. She sputtered, letting out a short gag which she tried to hold back the byproducts of, only to feel the familiar debilitating pain of two knuckles being planted within her kidney. A loud growl escaped her gnashed teeth and her legs wobbled.

She quickly regained balance and blocked an incoming knee with her own shin, trying desperately to ignore the pain. As their legs clashed, she threw a right hook , hitting him in his left shoulder as he rocked slightly out of the way, causing him to cringe as the immense pain rocketed through his fatigued body. He jumped back and narrowly missed a clumsy kick aimed for his head.

As soon as he got a bit of distance he ran right back at her and dodged her sweeping kick by sliding beneath it. She, in turn, jumped over his low clothes-line which would have took her knees out from underneath her. This was a faint however as he got back up to his full height and jammed an elbow into her bare stomach, doubling her over when a now vertical elbow bashed her in the back of the head.

She fell face-first to the ground, and let out a pained gasp. Tsukune stood to the side, waiting for her to regain her faculties and stand up. It took her a full ten seconds to begin to move and another five to pull herself to her full height, where she wobbled some as she moved to face him, revealing a scuffing on her forehead which was bleeding slightly and the same on her dull pointed chin.

Tamao didn't have to give him an invitation as the second she faced him, he made his way over to her and palm-thrusted her side, sending her several feet to the side as she tried desperately not to loose her balance and fall, making for something akin to a baby deer walking for the first time. The mermaid in human form had barely managed to ascertain balance when she jumped to evade the leg-sweep, but once more fell into a trap and found herself sailing in an arch through the air from a snap-kick.

She landed on her bum more or less and quickly hopped to her feet to block a punch to her face, and by luck managed to side-step the left knee which was intended for the junction of her hip. Knowing she had the advantage for this scant moment, she twirled around him and slammed a hard hammer-punch into his spine and simultaneously jabbed him in his left arm.

He dipped down, momentarily forgetting his balance as the pain got to him, 'I can't block out anymore pain – body's doing a damn good job of keeping me from passing out in it's current condition. Shit.' His thoughts echoed true as he could feel the muscles of his body failing on occasion, forcing him to drag his body through the motions. He'd _really_ overdone that last Flash-point. Never again, this pain and the state of his body was dismal.

Tsukune took a step back and avoided two punches and an elbow that nearly connected. He took a deep breath and calmed himself, ducking beneath a spinning heel kick that was preformed clumsily by the inexperienced mermaid. Her returned the favor and caught her in the shoulder, causing her to grunt, concealing a scream as a scuff colored onto her bare skin, "You bastard! Why are you even doing this; you _won!_"

"There was no definitive winner; I escaped," He corrected her and kneed her in the stomach, then grabbed her torso as she doubled over again and fell back, slamming her bare chest onto the concrete and damaging her back some with his weight. She squealed in pain, using the adrenaline to ignore the pain for a moment and return the pain with an elbow to _his_ kidneys. She was rewarded by a deep groan of pain, and instantly regretted it as her ankle was put into a vice, "As for why? It's very simply."

Her ankle nearly snapped when she jabbed two more strikes to is kidney, forcing him to let go as she got free and slammed a side-kick into his head. He fell over, but his body soon vanished from view and Tamao found herself once more flat against the ground with a sharp pain in her back. She looked over her shoulder to see the aloof bastard looking down upon her as if nothing had happened, "W-what's very _simple_?"

She pushed herself up onto all fours, but kept her head dipped down as Tsukune approached her slowly, his light steps padding against the wet cement. The brunette teen came to a stop and gazed down at her battered form, without a single shred of pity, or remorse. He made to open his mouth, taking a breath to speak when she flipped herself over revealing her puffed cheeks.

Chocolate orbs widened as the girl's pale pink lips parted and expelled a large gout of compressed, condensed water. For a bare moment he felt the tingling of panic – a feeling he'd not truly felt in a long, _long_ time before a strange feeling of... _familiarity_ soothed him whilst his muscles reacted on an instinct that felt foreign. The energy – his inner energy; his youki – began to shift within him and he could feel it expand his chest and fill it with an artificial air while his mouth began to produce a liquid that _wasn't_ saliva.

Another feeling of deja-vu hit him, and he knew what to do next, as if he'd known it for all of his life. The water compressed itself in a thin shell of his youki and the false breath in his lungs shot out on an impulse. He parted his lips and watched, stunned as an identical projectile of water intercepted the one fired from the mermaid and erupted into a small gust of wind and water that splashed everywhere.

Two pairs of eyes blinked in shock in tandem, though the chocolate pair concealed it better – if only minutely. The mermaid's mouth jawed without sound, looking for words which were absent. At long last she managed a broken inquiry, "H-how – t-that's a... water. Uhn?"

The grunt nearly went unsaid, and only came out as a stressed breath as she pulled herself onto her knees and eyes the teenage boy with uncertainty. Tsukune shook his head, unsure as to how he managed to do such a thing, "I am unsure... It was quite a... surprise, too."

He never noticed his vision go dark, nor the hard impact of his head against the concrete surrounding the in ground pool. He would also not remember how Kurumu and Moka rushed to him, worrying over his motionless form while Kurumu made the extra effort of blaming the black-haired mermaid for killing her beloved.

Elsewhere, two shadows sat within a room, their forms blending in with the pitch-black surroundings only increased by the black of night showing through the large bay windows. In the distance, a lone radio tower's lights warmed into a cherry red every ten seconds before flicking off once more. The only light entering the room was from the quarter moon which, despite being covered by a few wispy clouds, still had plenty of its lunar light to spare.

"Very good, boy... Yet another challenge passed." The shadow to the left murmured, his voice gruff and gravely, sounding like one would expect a grizzled army general to sound. His head shifted as he took a breath, "How long until the awakening?"

The second shadow shifted their weight some and brought a clear object to their lips. After a moment, they set it back down as the sunlight hit it, revealing it be a champagne glass. A soft hum came from the second shadow before thoughts were verbalized in a confidant feminine simper, "It shouldn't be long at all now. The influx of youki will likely allow the formation of the ameliorated state without such extreme measures and consequences – though I'm not entirely positive on such things, yet. Regardless, the awakening should be achieved within a year, two if things progress slow and steadily."

"Acceptable. We've waited long enough; two years is within our scope. Keep me updated if any calculations change. Until then, Madame." The first shadow inclined his head and raised a glass of his own, as if toasting the person beside him. In response, the other person raised their own glass and gave a light chuckle, "Of course, sir. I'd do nothing less. If nothing changes, I will see you at the meeting, goodnight."

The shadow beside the man flickered for a moment before dispersing into nothingness. He reclined himself some and released a long breath, "Yes, we've waited a long time, indeed... Yet it seems our clover has finally blossomed."

**This was very entertaining to write, and I hope you all have enjoyed it at least a fraction as much as I did writing it. Almost wrote 'riding' it, god damn the subliminal mechanisms of listening to music whilst typing. So... 34,352 words for this chapter, including _all_ text within this chapter. Don't expect a chapter this big to come along every time now. Hell, it won't even be that common... Consider it my treat for being out of commission for nearly, what, four months? Bet some of you thought I'd died, or at least abandoned my story, huh? _Infidels! I keel you!_ **

**Oh, you're still alive? Well, my wrath is false, and so is my coveted ability to strangle the shit out of anyone reading from the computer. Now, I've got great plans for this story, but I'm literally living luck-to-luck-to-paycheck-to-luck. Forecast for updates: Sporadic with a chance for rapid or severely prolonged chapters. **

**I've decided that I will give a description of any spells/abilities used in the story which _aren't_ cannon. Water-bullet won't be appearing this time, but I'm sure it's use will pop up in the next chapter or two, so look for it there. **

**Now, onto what I'd like to hear from you in addition to any other praise, critique or concerns you are welcome to mention in a review: As always, the fight between the mermaids and Kurumu, and then Tsukune. How did I do at the description, did it flow well, and ultimately was it entertaining? **

**Also, has the semi-subtle character development been too obvious, too subtle, and in addition to that, is it believable? Some things in their past – especially Moka – may be influential to their change, but that is just some food for thought. Nice touch with the water-bullet? There will be more where that came from, rest assured of that.**

**My second to last order of business is to say this: I am compiling a...lexicon of sorts for this and future R+V stories that I am working on/have planned/may do. I've gotten a fair amount down, but there is room for improvement. As such, I ask you to take a little bit of time after you read and review to -at some point- send me a PM containing possible spells and/or abilities which you believe a witch or other monster would use. Keep in mind that this is _not just for this story_, and that you'll be helping me with nearly _every_ story I make from this point on in R+V. Should you do this, credit will be given where due.**

**At long last, my final bit of business. I have been working with a helpful author on this site by the name of KuyouFox. I wouldn't call him my Beta, because that would be diminishing the job which he's been doing. I'd say that he's just short of being considered a Co-author, and that's _only_ because he hasn't physically typed a portion of the story. KuyouFox's a talented author, and I would recommend his stories to you.**

**Now Read and review, have fun, use condoms – god knows we only _need_ to keep the population rising, and remember above all: I am God, worship me, yada-yada and so forth. Night, all!**


	9. Recovery

**Good afternoon you lot. Things have been happening here which haven't been in the _greatest_ of benefit to myself. I thought I had a carpentry job with my father, but someone else got the bid - $1500 down the shitter right there, that I was banking on. Also, I may have to leave what has been my home for the past three years and return to Houston... While I'm not too tore up over it, living out in the country is nice; open spaces, not much traffic – pedestrian or vehicle, and I don't have to hear the fucking police every night/morning at 3AM. Meh, I've no clue why I'm telling you all... you don't really care, you're here for the next chapter of... (dun, dun, dun!)... Aono's Kaleidescope.**

**Review Responses: 21 (Plus a few that I forgot from last chapter, sorry peeps.)**

**Ressan:**** Thank you for reading.**

**Guest:**** Thank you for loving my story, haha!**

**Whiskedaway:**** It is interesting, thank you for bringing that up. I have a few friends globally, but none really in major Europe – One in Turkey, and his is dry-erase. Almost all the schools here in the US – that I know of – are of the same make as well.**

**I hope to keep it up, and I realize that as of my typing this it has been about five months since an update. Unfortunately, the place where I was going to covertly upload my stuff under the -half assed – guise of applying for jobs has closed it's doors after a rather... violent break-in in that strip-mall... Bastards.**

**Kazikamikaze24:**** That's very flattering to hear – that I've acquired an admitted life-time fan. I hope that this, and any story I do in the future (confirmed three, just fyi) will have your viewing.**

**Bladestar123:**** It's what I do, and I appreciate your interest and enjoyment of my work, Blade. As for the fan request, we shall see... I'm not entirely sure if Moka will be a true romantic interest in this story – so much as a ****_very_ dear friend... Like I said, we'll see, it isn't a yes or a no.**

**Reven228:**** I'll stay silver and green-green, gold ruins my complexion, y'know? Thanks for the review, Reven.**

**Krad09: I hope to twist a lot of the characters from what you'd expect them to be – I get bored, unfortunately, with the super redundancy that seems ever-present in the Rosario stories.**

**Super Chris:**** Then I'm doing my job. You've no idea how hard it is to keep myself grounded though, as I want to 'Info-dump' and it'll ultimately end up as the overwhelming slice-o-life piece, as you say.**

**Any tips as to how I can trim the fat some whilst still keeping a good portion of meat, as it were? I plan for the larger fights to be a bit more... extensive, and it'll suck if I can't quite get a moderate-length fight down to par.**

**Ethorin:**** I'll try to put that to use, and see what may come from it. Hopefully this story will see my writing style evolve entirely, so that any stories I write after this one will be that much ****better...**

**Strike Freedom101:**** Glad you loved it. I hope you'll enjoy it's somewhat logical overpowered-ness (When it truly fledges out, in a few chapters). Assuming you're still reading this once I get a chance to post it – I've got four more chapters in reserve, hehe.**

**DarkDraco002: Thank you. She will likely become, at least, an acquaintance of his. **

**DoomKnight1of24: First, thank you for your review and your criticism therein, especially for the lack of hostility and utter sadistic brutality I've seen some utilize. **

**It IS highly illogical for the group to accept Kurumu in the manga, and I have no illusions that my own explanation, while carrying a certain weight that was laughably absent in canon, isn't much when compared to the logical rule of, as you so eloquently put it, "bitches be trippin". To answer your concern, I have a few mechanics written up in my plans that deal with certain functions of the mind and body. I won't ruin it, however suffice it to say, without it she might have just been sent on her way.**

**As far as the YSAC is concerned, I understand where you're coming from – I do. However, I intend to change the perception of most people in this world... You're presumptions are... I hesitate to say 'correct', because it is not, but you're on the right path. What many fail to remember is that these are _monsters;_ beings that, aside from Youkai Academy, have next to no influence from humans... In this great culmination of monstrosity/culture, who's to say that some monsters don't have ridiculously low ages of consent, or will allow their hatred of a border being to clash with their insatiable lust and hormones, rather than embrace the two into a dark desire? Everyone has them adhere, if not strictly, then with little leeway to the 'inherent' morals of human nature... Why, why is this? Monsters, I imagine, would be Hedonistic Romans to the bony-fingered catholic nun which represents humans.**

**I enjoy the mentioning of Tsukune being a badass...twice. I find the factors you've mentioned to be in surprisingly short supply, and felt it was my duty to bring it to fellow fanfiction readers.**

**You're right. It is a bit too detailed, but as I mentioned in my 'information dump' reference, it's a difficult issue to handle. I want it to be vivid, imaginative, and cast a powerful image... This, unfortunately, clashes with my casual and rather apathetic nature and I must fight between going, 'There's a dragon, it goes rawr', and describing in excruciating detail the wood-grain on a fucking door – taking -an exaggerated- 10,000 words to do.**

**They're an empire, more or less. I have been pouring over many empires for that specific purpose and I have three candidates in mind. Depending on how I progress, I might pull something outta my ass-hat, as it were, and surprise you.**

**I've rather enjoyed your review, and it's the long ones which I gain the most from, so I thank you, Doom.**

**gaara king of the sand: No problem, man. You reviewed, so I've got no complaints about the time. I'll check it out, and thank you, I tried my best on this fight – it was my first 'en mass' battle, so I'm glad to see it getting praise; I figured it would have been of lesser par than my one-on-one fights.**

**Jman12394: He could be. You should be finding out really, really soon.**

**bob the kraken: Glad to see you're enjoying it. Hope it continues to be interesting to you.**

**Hypothetical Spiritual Entity:**** Indeed, they did exist at some point in time. Might I interject with a question: what, precisely, do you mean by 'self-aware'? I try to deliver a largely realistic mental capacity for someone with the training and trauma he's gone through, to combat the largely unrealistic world he's in, if that's what you mean.**

**I noticed that, and it annoys me. Being a person who largely lives by Sun Tzu's wisdom, I find that the psychological approach can, if not win the entire war without a single offensive combat motion, then give one the upper-hand in most situations. The exception being when one is dealing with a sociopath.**

**How have you seen it's impacts, if I may ask? Soldier, perhaps?**

**Because I've performed extensive tests in quantum physics, and applied parabolic umbrances to research frames made of non-food tacos, and found that we, here at the AK's Writing Corp have no imagination that we're aware of.* Insert rainbow colored in 50 shades of gray***

**Uchiha Rai: It was, wasn't it? I hope to have him incorperate a versitile library of them throughout the story. Thank you for your review, Rai.**

**Manly Monk:**** Nice to hear from you again, and thank you. It most certainly did, though It is actually the first of many, if I can get it to work out properly. It's exacerbated, but you hit the nail on the head, my friend, at least for most of it. There are a few more issues at hand that influence it, but the majority, you have correct.**

**I can promise you that it will do so most of the time, but he will not be immune to the damage... Until, well, I'll just keep that under wraps.**

**I'll do so as soon as I can, have a good day.**

**Melkor44: Why thank you, I do try. Might I inquire though, do you mean in any category or merely R+V? I sincerely accept the salute, sir!**

**I understand your amusement and disappointment, however I found no reason to bring her into the mix – it was logically impossible: Moka had no reason to be near the water or get wet, and that was the _only _reason she would come out, and bounce into action... However, I will say that I only covered a _little_ of what went on behind the scene of the fight, hehehe.**

**I agree with you, as well, that her use as a One-hit K.O. is rather...unimaginative, and the fact that it exists both in the skewered anime, as well as the manga is...hn. However, she will be getting face-time soon enough.**

**Seriously? Well... I have no words to express the sheer exuberance from that. Being compared to such a great story, and especially a definitive point such as a character rendering... Thank you, I'm proud.**

**You most certainly will, don't worry. It will flesh out more over time, and I will try to deliver as clear a picture near the 'end' of what I call the 'enlightenment period'. The voice will become a bit more flushed out after a few more events take place, and you will see it included more often. The corpse-walkers should be an easy guess after this chapter.**

**Thank you, and I will.**

**Pyromania: Ah, my good chum! So you caught the minor interaction, huh? Good; I'm unsure how many did, though it matters little; she'll be appearing more, soon – giving her the anti-hero/villian 'cooldown', if you will. Well... I can't give you heads or tails on that, as I'm not sure how I'm going to introduce her in the first place – might need a gimmick. **

**Thank you for the compliments on the fight, it was one of the easier ones (of my, what, three?) to write thus far. That, or I'm getting better and finding it easier – what do you think? Yeah, I enjoy doing that – adding a bit of a twist, a duality to most 'evil' peoples' actions, as most aren't inherently evil. As for the aforementioned mild urge you have regarding her, I must admit that I am also considering it – perhaps not so far as integrate her fully, but pointers and maybe a bit of 'ahem' face-time... I'm trying to be as cryptic as possible, haha!**

**I appreciate that, though I must correct you; there was no substitution – at best it was a bastardized and weaker form of Shunshin, if you want a comparison. Good, I was hoping that the final section of the fight would add a sense of 'exhaustion', yet make it all the more intense. As for the two people, hn... You'll find out in due time. Also, I'm sorry to disappoint, but Mizore likely won't make another small debut until 10 or 11, and she won't fully enter into the story until -roughly- 15 or 16. **

**Edited 1/22/13 – I may actually include her around 11-13... Recently got more inspiration and a greater... Hn, desire? Yes, desire to write her – more appreciation for her, I suppose you'd call it.**

**I see your point, however don't presume to know all of the power that Alucard has – trust me on this; all may not be quite what it seems. They are? Hn, I figured, however I lacked any proof and besides, I've yet to read anything beyond Kurumu entering Moka's mind with the group – been trying to find a place to _download_ the manga, no internet and all. At any rate, I appreciate your review, thanks!**

**Hulu: Well, someone's experiencing their first period, it would seem. I wasn't going to even dignify this with a response, but... I figured that if you're going to make the _ingenious_ choice to write a ridiculous flame – an ember actually, for I would rather not demean _true_ flamers – without _any _knowledge as to the story, your business deserved to be aired: you flamed on chapter ONE! How impossibly sad; I truly pity you.**

**Guest: This is a PM-class message, not a review ( though I do appreciate the numerical statistic increase.) In addition, the Prototsukune story isn't for _ME_ to make; it's for you... Or anyone who wants to, hence the fact that it is a _challenge_, not a _plan_... Though, the idea does tickle me, hm.**

**Dracoman: Thank you for the review, and I apologize for forgetting to mention you previously. G'day to you.**

**Disclaimer: I would like to formally say that I do not own Rosario + Vampire, nor do I own Naruto or any thing in league with euther of these two manga/anime series. I would also like to say, once again and for the final time, this story's concept was created without the influence of internet and so any similarities between OnTheImportanceOfLungs' stories and my own – and anyone else's for that matter – are purely coincidental... Respect Mah authoritah!**

Chapter 9: Recovery

"_Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!" A short stream of fire quickly shot fifteen feet from the dark haired man's hand, his index and middle fingers curled into an arch and the thumb connecting the arch into a circle whilst the rest of his hand resembled a fist as he blew into the cavity. At the end of those fifteen feet, where a group of long haired brunette men wearing faded brown armor were rushing towards them, the stream suddenly expanded into a massive fireball; nearly ten feet in circumference._

_Eight seconds after the fireball had formed, the black haired man cut the flow of energy, stopping the flames as he set his hands by his side. As the smoke wafted away, it revealed the cremated remains of the ten men, only their brown armor remained in-tact, though it was glowing bright orange, casting an eerie ambiance into the foggy night air._

_The rustling of cloth and the clanking of metal plates and chain-mail surrounded him. He blinked and dodged a shimmering kunai that embedded into the ground, the trajectory it had been flying pointing to it's flightpath having been aimed a his head. He smirked, "Goddamned Senju, they try to get you a-"_

_He fell to his knees, and then bent backwards, limp. In his forehead, another kunai knife buried to just before the handle with blood and a creamy liquid leaking out from around the steel handle. Immediately after, his body was drug underground, vanishing from sight as several more black haired men moved to take his place._

"_Lord Uchiha, Hashirama is said to be coming this way. His force, according to our advance scouts, includes fifteen taijutsu specialists,thirty men and women of jonin status according to armor markings, and twenty corpse-walkers of various background, though half look to be Senju and at least one Kaguya."_

_Standing on an outcropping of rock overseeing the battlefield below stood a man of six-foot even, his body completely concealed beneath a cloak. The only outstanding mark on the black cloak with white trimmings was the symbol of the Uchiha clan-turned-Empire on the back; a fan, of which the curved top half was red and the latter consisting of half the body and the handle, white._

_Beneath the mask that sat upon his face, obscuring all but the faint red glow of his eyes, the man grunted his acknowledgment before speaking, his voice deep but courteous, "So, my foe intends to wipe me out by force, then? At least, that's the idea he wishes to plant within my mind."_

"_Sir?" the messenger, a lanky man with hair pulled into a ponytail which was just a black as any other Uchiha's, questioned from beneath the half mask he wore, obscuring his nose and mouth from view. The other man kept silent before beckoning the man to stand with him, silently._

"_Our nemesis, Hashirama Senju," he spoke with both respect and anger tinting the man's name as it left his lips, "is not one for straight-forward assaults. No... Hashirama is either leading a pincer maneuver with his brother or wife bringing up the other side, or – and by far more worrisome – he's heading a diversionary squad."_

"_A diversion squad, but why – what would he be going after, my Lord?" The soft-spoken man inquired, turning to face his completely ambiguously dressed superior. The man looked into the sky, red eyes taking a gander at the bright, full moon which sat amongst the stars, shining a beauteous display within the dark heavens._

"_He could be going after many things, Fukurou: My son, Obito; my wives, Yurika and Momo; the abandoned Uchiha compound, for its graveyard and any forgotten scrolls; he could even be going after one of our medic camps, intending to reduce our forces before we can even get them back to the field – though that's not quite his style, attacking the weak and recovering." _

_A light chuckle emanated from the featureless man beside Fukurou as he looked down onto his men who were stamping out what resistance still stood from this outpost the rebelling Senju had set up, "He _could_ be after any of those things... However, I am almost certain that he intends to take the Enkou Tou."_

_Fukurou's eyes widened some and his stature visibly faltered a little in shock, "Enkou Tou, he couldn't possibly think that-"_

"_Despising the man as I do, I must begrudgingly say that _hedoes_ have the power to take it. Without Hashirama there to direct the growth accordingly though, both his wife and his brother – together – won't be able to breach the area surrounding it. Their combined control over their advanced bloodline limit pales greatly in comparison to _his_ control." He said, interrupting the shorter man who took no offense to the preemptive answer to his incomplete question._

_The shorter man nodded his head with a slight relief hidden within his sigh, "Assuming we _do_ somehow loose the Enkou Tou – how far will that put us back? I mean, it took us two months to get passed the Aburame's innumerable defenses and waves of insects, and a year to set the tower up..."_

"_We will survive its loss," he declared after a moment of thought, then gave a sharp glance at the shorter, light armor clad man. The red glare of his crimson sharingan eye didn't quite intimidate Fukurou as it would anyone else, however he stood alert all the same, "Do not misinterpret me however; we _will_ survive, but it will set us back a little. The Enkou Tou makes the fourth site which preparations are being made, so we can afford to loose one. Any more though, and years – possibly a decade – will be added onto our campaign."_

_Fukurou looked up to this Lord, and everything slowly faded..._

_The sun's rays were kept from him as the many conjoining canopies of the forest's trees shielded him overhead. Yet the heat of the sun wasn't bothering him, rather it was the fact that he was having to dodge large shruiken. These shuriken were known to both sides as the Fuuma Shuriken – the signature weapon of the Fuuma clan, which had allied with the Senju after Tobirama, brother to the patriarch of the Senju Clan, had killed the notorious bastard offspring of the Dakatsu clan's 'Hidden Fang', Orochimaru, who'd been using the clan as slave labor, his own guardian force, as well as catalysts for which to experiment on._

_That was a little over a year prior, three months after they lost Enkou Tou to the endless assault of those... Kami-damned corpse-walkers. Something had changed; Tobirama, the divisor of the jutsu, must have changed...something. Unlike before, the corpse walkers weren't completely being immolated and dying. They were now... regenerating from the damage, and it was only when their entire being had been turned to dust and scattered over a fifty foot radius that they were unable to reform – for a time. Scouts which had been watching the large tower after the siege had started, began to notice, three days after, that the ash clumps were getting larger, and seven days after the taking of the tower, had completely reformed._

_It was a setback in more ways than one; the triangulated ritual sites they had set up were now in true danger of being compromised by the Senju rebellion – the liars and thieves, ironic a statement as that was. Many lost their lives defending Enkou Tou during the sixteen day siege, including one of the Great Blood's in the Empire – Izuna's daughter, Mikoto. It was a terrible loss of morale beyond just the tower; Mikoto had been one of the head medics within the Enkou Tou vicinity, and without her the remaining six medics together could hardly match her diligence and skill. As well, her three children were left without a mother, and their father was out on the front lines with their Lord._

_He grunted, turning around after dodging yet another Fuuma shuriken to launch a handful of his own shuriken at the assailants. They brought their weapons to the ready, intent on parrying the flying metal stars when he preformed a few hidden hand-seals, causing the six stars to quintuple into twenty four just a mere three feet before the three confident men. They swung their Fumma-shuriken which were folded into their carrying/melee form – a giant set of claws – knocking a good portion of the stars out of the air, but each received at least, ironically, six in their body._

"_Don't look so smug, _Shisui Uchiha! _You've been a pain in Tobirama-sama's side for long enough! It's been a long, _long_ road we've tracked you down, but you've finally reached the gorge, and the bridge... it's out. " The first man taunted with a gruff voice, the threat offset a bit by his inability – which he, admittedly made up for well – to pronounce 'T's. He was easily six foot even, and the largest of the three men, and coincidentally the one with the least amount of hair._

"_Yashamaru, you and I are both aware that I don't want to harm any of you. Yet, you force me to, why? Why not simply report that you were unable to find me?" Shisui questioned with an arched eyebrow, still in a stance to protect himself if need be. He never regretted the fact that he remained as he was because seconds later another Yashamaru threw both of his Fuuma-shuriken in a high arc over Shisui who barely noticed the sparking arcs jumping around the steel blade._

_He rolled to the side as no less than sixteen thin, senbon sized bolts of lightning rained down onto the spot where he was at from both shuriken, leaving tiny pin-pricks of scorched dirt. _

"_Kaminari shuriken, that's how you wish to play this, then?" He hummed lightly and stood up. Beside him, he formed a single handseal and flickered away in a swirl of blazing leaves, only to reappear behind the second of the two men who was named Kanzaki. He was a short fellow, maybe five foot four in stature, but bulky. Bulky and slow, which was why Shisui managed to hit the short man with a palm thrust to the back which exploded upon impact, leaving a scorched and smoking hole in the man's clothing, and while the chain-mail beneath was visible and intact, it didn't stop the dark brown skin to darken into a cherry color of a first, bordering second degree burn._

_A hiss escaped the diminutive man as he tried to reach for the searing pain that was only irritated with every movement, causing his chain-mail to rub against the tender flesh. He was soon struck with an elbow to the ribs which also exploded,and immediately following that, a backhand to the cheek, sending him into Yashamaru, who had just barely managed to retrieve his last Fuuma Shuriken from the utility bandoleer across his chest and throw it towards the Uchiha._

_Flickering away from the damage, he stabbed the last man who was known only as 'Kai' to the group – the sole reason that none of his genjutsu settled over any of his adamant pursuers. The man grunted lightly and grabbed shisui by the neck only to have him flicker out of his hands and plant a roundhouse kick in the man's face, knocking the five-foot six man to the ground. _

"_Shunshin Shisui, today, you die," the new and alien voice of another person spoke up. He flickered away and landed ten feet away, only to feel a sharp pain and see the silver blade of a short-sword covered in crimson liquid extend into his vision from his chest. He coughed a bit of blood that dribbled onto the dirt and stumbled forward as the blade was violently retrieved. Spinning weakly on his heel, he caught sight of a white haired man in blue armor which looked influenced by samurai, yet wasn't quite as heavy and had more hinges to it. The white fur stretching from pouldron to pouldron also announced who the man before him was._

"_Tobirama... Senju, you sneaky... bastard." His vision blurred some, but he grit his teeth and formed the discreet handsign and flickered behind Tobirama, already half-way through a roundhouse kick when a gush of water rose up from the ground and knocked him off kilter, sending him stumbling to the ground. Without a word, and only a single handseal Tobirama's chestnut eyes regarded Shisui with some unknown emotion._

"_Suiton: Mizu Kamikiri," The brother to the head of the Senju clan murmured without pity or remorse. Shisui only then noticed that he was soaking wet and that for fifteen feet either way he looked, water overtook land. His three-tomoe sharingan eyes widened, and despite his attempts, he found his limbs to be numb and weak – he was bleeding out, even more evidenced by the murky wisps of dark liquid mixing with the water. He could only watch as Tobirama's foot slammed into the water and caused a small jet of water to spear-head forth, which continued to grow as it quickened upon him over eight feet away. To him, it was an eternity, but to Tobirama – a mere second, before the water passed Shisui, leaving a thin, bloody line bisecting his body... before he fell to either side and his innards spilled out. _

_Looking at the gruesome scene before him, Tobirama lightly shook his head, "A quick death to honor your generally non-combatant ways. However, this kindness has rebuked any retribution you may have made. No matter...In death, you will repay your family's grievances."_

Tsukune shot awake, his eyes wide and stinging as if they had just been burned by fire. He breathed deeply to calm the hyperventilation which was taking hold of him. It took him a moment to notice, but everything was completely dark; there was nothing in any direction he tried to look. Perception of space seemed... false, as if there were no boundaries around him.

Groaning, the brunette teen pushed himself to his feet and felt a sudden dip in his equilibrium just as he quivered where he was standing. He had a sudden feeling of deja vu and noticed that to the far edge of his vision, there _was_ a light, though it looked to be blocked by something; there was only a few slats of illumination shining through.

Unsteadily, Tsukune walked his way across the near infinite darkness towards the one light, almost falling many times as he felt with trepidation that some areas in this darkness seemed to not have a 'floor'. After what felt like five minutes, he blinked and noticed that the bright slats of light were further away than when he started trying to walk towards them. Frowning, he opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

Confusion became an etched expression as he mouthed words, yet heard nothing, not wind exiting his mouth, not the smacking of his lips, no distant cry as he yelled – nothing. A silent sigh exited his lips as he looked down to the black 'ground', and shook his head, 'This makes no sense; how can I be standing where there is nothing, and get further away from something I'm approaching?'

He stood there for several minutes before he shrugged and continued on his way, walking towards the illuminating slots. He walked, and walked, trying his best to follow the thin walkways that he simply couldn't see. It was somewhat enraging that he couldn't see where he was going, and every single damn time he looked up, he had made no progress!

Gritting his teeth, the brunette turned around and begin walking in the opposite direction. It seemed like the logical choice given the quasi-supernatural way the physics of... wherever the hell he was, worked. He counted his steps which kept in pace with the seconds, and after a good ten minutes had passed, he looked up and noticed that it was still pitch black the direction he was now headed. Looking over his shoulder revealed that, while it wasn't in any way very close, his rationality worked; the light was a bit closer, though still far off.

He continued to follow the path back for nearly thirty more minutes before it occurred to him that he had only walked the original direction for somewhere between five to ten minutes. 'Hn, this is quite unsettling. Not only am I in unknown territory, but what little I had figured out has been long gone, then... how have I known?'

Eyeing the darkness with scrutiny, the sharingan host noticed that the darkness gave way slightly to reveal some spots of gray a few feet before him. Taking his foot, he lightly stepped on the 'gray area' and found that nothing was there, except the infinite darkness, 'So the further I travel, perhaps the easier it is to see the drop-offs?'

Nodding to himself, Tsukune continued his trek for nearly three hours, before he came to an area bathed in grays with not a single pitch-black in sight, nor did it feel as though the platform – or whatever he had been walking on – extended beyond this sea of gray fog. Turning around, the young teen found himself face-to-face with the enormous metal bars which shone a light so bright, he had to shield his eyes from it. Tentatively, he approached it and found that within the center of the bars was a strange circular stone in which three tomoe-like objects circled around, and in the center stood series of archaic markings, circled around a central indented point.

Try as he might, he couldn't read the words surrounding the sigil, and as he tried to sound out the words he was once again reminded of the lack of audibility here. Bitterly laughing without a single sound, he looked around and noticed that the black emptiness which had covered the entire realm save a few rare areas began to lift a little, revealing a semi-permeable fog beneath. Cocking his head to the side, he gazed down into the stormy looking abyss, 'This is most confusing... The last thing I remember is... fighting, fighting a... topless, ahem, mermaid? T-...Tamao, I believe her name was... Is...'

A sigh escaped him once more, and he jumped, startled as he realized that he had actually heard and felt the light wind escape his lips. Looking around, he noticed that the dark, murky gray was lightening up, becoming something akin to light clouds of loose, puffy light grays and whites, "So... I can speak here after-all – sound does exist."

"I wonder then, what impaired it?" Tsukune wondered aloud and suddenly felt very... acrophobic – a feeling which he never thought he'd experience. The 'clouds' parted and he suddenly realized just _why_ he felt as though there was no floor; there _was none_. He was standing on a platform of black onyx and obsidian, and leading to it was a series of stilted walkways, which looked almost identical to an ancient Roman aqueduct, all of them crisscrossing and connecting to one another for as far as his eyes could see, at least to the direction he had come from. The opposing way revealed absolutely nothing, except a far-off large black dome with a thick, flat extension that extended for quite a while, where it then formed a two-way split and led to two different towers.

"What... In the hell... Where _am_ I?" Tsukune question in wondrous bewilderment as he looked around. It was then that a black mist, darker than even the pitch-black which had bound this area... realm, whatever , in an oppressive 'cage', where nothing made much sense on a common sense level. It was just a chance that he had even _went_ back the way he came; he could have easily continued his trek.

As the black mist encased him, he felt a familiar presence touch the back of his mind, just before his vision went black and he felt as if he was falling – only _everywhere_. It was the most disturbing sensation he had ever felt in a long time; it felt as though it was a direct violation of all the natural laws which Nature obeyed.

He could literally feel as every particle of his being was torn apart and forced into a cyclonic spin within the black mist. It wasn't painful, as it didn't allow for physical receptions of touch. Still, amongst himself, spiraling within the enigmatic mist as it took him only god knows where, he could tell just where he was. It wasn't as though he _knew_ what parts of himself were where, but he knew the area he encompassed – the relative distance, height and at times, shape. It was disorienting and brought quite a few questions which barely bobbed above the unease.

Time was irrelevant to him, space was irrelevant; nothing of the physical world truly mattered to the disintegrated form of Tsukune as he was taken somewhere by this strange black mist. Yet, he didn't care where it took him – it felt _right_ to be traveling where he was being taken, almost as if he knew before _he knew_ – as if his body and subconscious were aware of the destination but not his waking mind.

In nearly an instant, and yet an eternity, Tsukune found himself back to his normal faculties yet he was not anywhere he recognized although the architecture seemed vaguely similar to the dark ebony hallways from back when the young succubus had charmed him, forcing him within his mind. Here, the walls were made of a deep crimson color with black and chrome pipe-like support beams crisscrossing above the ceiling. The ceiling itself was metal, thick and covered in very few vermillion globes which burned in something akin to a wall-torch.

The ground was made of gunmetal gray panels which, at first glance seemed to hold strong to the light copper walls. However, after casting his vision around the dim room, the young teen soon noticed that the floor was supported by a series of hydraulic pistons which were set into a pressurized stasis, thereby holding the floor up with nary a give to it. The floor clanged beneath his feet as he walked away from the arched walkway which was closed off by a semi-circular flagstone wall, likely a full circle with a walkway carved into it somewhere along it's radius.

With nothing but the direct pathways to guide him, Tsukune walked to the center of the large square room and turned to his left, making his was down another dim, hydraulically supported corridor which seemed to go on for quite a ways. No sound other than the clanging of his footsteps, the soft sounds of his own breathing, and a very faint sound of near-white-noise which was likely coming from the pseudo-torches placed at just the right intervals to not allow it to be pitch-black.

Continuing down the pathway, it solidified Tsukune's opinion that the any hallway of ominous or ornate architecture was nigh-endless. The teen could swear that he'd been walking for almost the exact amount of time he'd walked on the shrouded stilts sometime earlier. One step later however and he was suddenly aware of a strong yet neutral pressure in the atmosphere, somewhat weighing him down and causing him to have to labor a bit for his breaths.

It ended suddenly, and before he knew it, he was out of the thin and tight walkway and was now within yet another chamber, only this one was _large_. The metal grates held aloft by the mechanical supports ended quick enough, surrounding a large onyx and marble compounded segment of solid ground, and floating in the center of this black and white floor was a large obsidian orb, black gelatinous liquid and smog floating within the volcanic glass. The ground shook, and Tsukune's head suddenly pounded in a short piercing flash of pain, '_Tsukune Aono... Welcome, the two of us...must talk._'

Sometime later, the brunette teen found himself slowly becoming numb; his limbs losing their ability to adhere to his commands, and then his midsection. At long last, his head suddenly swooned out of his control and his eyelids closed, finally for just a second, there was nothing. Then his eyes snapped open, brown orbs searching frantically as they tried to pierce the bleary film over them, as well as adjust to the very dim surroundings.

His breathing was accelerated, something he aimed to slow immediately until he realized that it was actually a bit difficult _to_ breathe. Finally dispensing with the panicked numbness, he could feel a weight on his chest – not too heavy, but enough that his lungs were having a bit of trouble expanding all the way.

At long last, as the haze that clouded both his mind and his eyes slowly faded away, he could make out the blue mop which lay upon his white hospital gown clad chest, as well as the body attached to said mop, leaned over in what must have been an uncomfortable position. He eyes the young seductress, watching her shift a little in her sleep, a light beguiling smile tugging faintly at his lips. Most would have likely wakened after that near panic attack he had gone through upon waking, causing a bit of worry for the girl, 'How _long_ has she been here, to be so enraptured within her rest? Has she even left?'

Such a thought – that Kurumu hadn't even left his side for however long he'd been out, was ludicrous in it's inception. Yet, without regard to the Irresponsible and fatuous actions, that same thought had warmed his heart some. He would never openly admit it, but Kurumu may be proving her usefulness, and dare he say it, her geniality regarding her regret and desire to truly become friends with both himself and Moka. He still held a few reservations – such qualms and suspicions that he both cursed, and yet abides by in an effort to weed out any treacherous actions and turncoats near him.

'Perhaps I am too restrictive – too uptight. It is what keeps me and mine alive however, and to that end I simply cannot allow my vigil to be skimped upon. Still, these two... Hn,' Tsukune grunted lightly and wrung his neck around lightly, feeling several tender spots. He would have cracked his neck, but it was clearly night out and he had no clue how long the two ladies had been there or when they had fallen into sleep's embrace.

For quite a while, the brunette teen watched Kurumu sleep, her breaths soft and relaxed despite the odd angles and posture with which she slept and kept lightly moving into. Occasionally, she would mumble something that was intelligible, obviously having a conversation in the sleep-induced world by the way she'd give an attempted giggle or a low moan of disappointment, or nod and shake her head. It was oddly relaxing t watch the young succubus sleep, Tsukune decided.

Turning his attention away, he looked to his left where, in another hospital chair pulled up to his bed, Moka lay reclined in a posture she'd not be caught dead in; something he'd attributed to her upbringing – something she spoke little of, and when she did it was with a reluctance. He wondered what she'd been through to make her the way she was, and he vowed to himself somewhere deep down that he'd somehow help her come to terms, if not outright find some reprieve from her youth.

He knew that despite his conflicts in his higher psyche, he would ensure he did that one kindness in his life. If he didn't help bring some kind understanding, coping, or closure to his young vampire friend, then he'd just be perpetuating the cycle of carelessness – something that had been broken by some strange luck by a peculiar officer named Iori Morioka. The young man grasped the wolf head charm around his neck and his thoughts briefly shifted to the officer, 'I wonder how he's doing; how much more good he's managed to do – _has_ he done anymore; was he reprimanded for his kindness and cast out, has be become corrupted after so long?'

Since that day, he had always wondered what the man was up to – his actions, whether still risque in terms of going rogue for the sake of proper justice, or had he confirmed or gone completely black, corrupt? He would hate to think the man who saved him was capable of falling, himself, but Tsukune knew that anyone could be swayed if in a bind, and certainly over time, to do anything.

He was brought out of his reverie when Moka whimpered some and adjusted her position, arching her back some while shifting her hips to the side. The position wasn't quite as uncomfortable as Kurumu's looked to be, but it certainly wasn't the best he could have come up with. He supposed that it was only due to her being asleep that she'd settled as she was. Watching the young vampire for a few minutes, the young teen soon found himself pulling his lips back into a line from their open smile.

After a few more minutes had passed, he closed his eyes, preparing to lay himself back to down to rest so as not to become restless and disturb his two friends when he heard a startled gasp. In the time he had to open his eyes, two slender arms wrapped around his neck, followed almost immediately by an excitedly whispering voice that he knew to be Kurumu, "Tsukune-kun, you're awake! I'm so happy; we've been worried sick!"

He gave a weak chuckle, finding his voice and body suddenly sore. Realizing that he'd not done anything but lean up and shift his eyes to both of the girls, he'd not moved an inch. Naturally, it was the jarring of his body and the odd angle of his neck being pressed into Kurumu's neck was causing it, not that's he'd complain about it now. Inhaling, he could smell the nice scent that her skin carried before he responded, "How much time has passed since I lost consciousness?"

The excited seductress didn't answer right away, instead waiting to release her Destined One from the hug she was holding him in before speaking, "Uh, it's been seven, well now, it's eight days 'cuz I'm pretty sure it's in the A.M.'s – I fell asleep right around eleven."

He eyed her, watching as her expressive violet-blue eyes looked him over in both adoration and worry, then locked eyes with him as her barely tanned cheeks started to gain a very light flush to them. Her posture then shifted slightly as she settled her butt onto the bed without causing him any discomfort and used her left arm to lean on lightly. After a few minutes of simply looking over her, Tsukune shifted his eyes to the sleeping vampire and then back to Kurumu, "I'm not entirely aware as to _what_ happened, particularly after my rather unwelcome collapse, would it trouble you to tell me?"

"Don't say things like that, Tsukune-kun; anything you want or ask for isn't, in any way, a problem. So of course I can tell you!" Kurumu beamed at him, scooting closer to her beloved with a large smile. Normally, she'd have directly offered him her body, and the hug would have been a delicious, 'Kurumu Boob Greeting', however she was doing her best to honor his wishes – to keep herself somewhat restrained and work up to that, and hopefully, beyond that level.

_Kurumu gasped and ran over to Tsukune's fallen form, his breathing shallow and his heart beat even weaker. His eyes were still half-open, revealing half-dead chocolate orbs that twitched in a subconscious daze to what little stimulation the optical organs could perceive. "Tsukune-Kun! Please, say something; are you okay!?" She begged, kneeling at his side with a hand placed over his heart, an expression of torment fixed upon her as she gazed desperately, pleading silently with her own violet eyes into his unresponsive pair._

_She noticed the pink haired vampire kneel down opposite her with a shocked and extremely petrified expression. She made to touch him, when Kurumu knocked her hand away. Moka looked up with shock and open irritation, "This isn't the time for you to fight over him being yours, he's hurt!"_

_The succubus whipped her head up, fully intent on yelling the pinkette's ear deaf, but cut herself short. She knew that Moka was only speaking on her almost unnatural focus on him – she assumed that, as with most things, she would degenerate this emergency into a fight of possession. She sighed, though she couldn't completely contain the bitter taste in her mouth, "I _know_ that Moka-chan! I know! He's covered in water, and I know that you can't touch him – I was only looking out for you."_

_Suddenly abashed and regretful, Moka made to apologize but was cut off by the succubus, "It's fine Moka-chan. We'll talk about it later, for now, take off your jacket and use it to dry part of him off. I'm not near strong enough to carry him by myself – especially after that bitch – Yeah, you bitch! - nearly killed me."_

_For her part, Tamao stood and shook her head. She was feeling conflicted; on one hand she felt that the damnable boy deserved every ounce of pain she caused him – and had skipped out on a _lot_ more by the way he just passed out. On the other hand, she _was_ going against school regulations and was doing all she could to get by without catching the consequences. It infuriated her so when he dared to defy her plans for him, and when he began to fight her, the hatred was only exacerbated. However, she began to have doubts, deep down, which came to the surface during the last part of their fight which led to her current predicament._

_Without a word, the mermaid, against her better judgment walked over to the blacked-out teen and gripped his shoulder, "I can help. There's no need for you to... get hurt, too."_

_Moka glared at the woman and gripped Tsukune's arm, despite the slight dampness and immediately felt the repercussions. Her palm erupted into pain not unlike one would feel during the first few second of holding a hot coal before it burned away the nerves. The difference was that the pain just went on and on for her, never lessening, nor would it until her hand was dry. The mermaid looked at her as if she were insane, but before she could act to pry the vampire's hand off of him, Kurumu intervened, making Moka let go while glaring hatefully at the half-fish woman, "What do _you_ want, you put him in this state. Go away, before I beat the shit out of you!"_

_Tamao lowered her gaze some and gently reached to help the young vampire up, who resisted the attempt and stood on her own, having knelt down in a vain, primal attempt to curl in on herself to stop the pain. Understanding the action, the mermaid made the final effort to hand the vampire her fairly dry school shirt, which she'd been brought by Erika, "At least... At least take this, dry yourself off."_

_Eying the garment with suspicion, Moka took the shirt and dried off her hand, feeling an immediate relief. She didn't bother thanking the mermaid, partly because she didn't feel the girl _deserved_ to be thanked, and partially so she wouldn't interrupt Kurumu who'd taken the conversation over as soon as she grabbed the shirt, "Who the hell do you think you are, attacking Tsukune-kun and _then_ trying to_ help _him!?"_

"_I-I, I only want t-" The mermaid's weak and timid response was interrupted by Kurumu who closed the distance between them, careful not to harm Tsukune who she had to step over, "You tried to _kill_ him, for no reason other than you were _hungry_! God, you greedy fish-bitch!"_

_Huffing, Tamao snapped back when Kurumu's tirade had to stop in order to breathe, "You're just a bimbo - a whore, and one who he doesn't seem too responsive of, if your little show earlier was to be believed. Maybe, _maybe_ I was wrong – maybe I _did_ attack him over my...hunger."_

_She let out a calming breathe and didn't bother to look the shocked and affronted succubus in the face, "That's all over – he... He won the fight. I guess... I guess I just don't want a guilty conscious; I would feel like shit if he died here." _

"_Oho! Fish-bitch has a conscience? _Wow_, never saw that coming – especially since you tried to _KILL_ Tsukune-kun!" Kurumu screamed into the black haired mermaid's face, rage flushing the shorter girl's light bronzed cheeks to a rosy red as her nostrils flared and her hands tightened into fists, knuckles white and looking a if they were close to breaking the skin._

_Tamao leaned back, trying to keep the chill that ran along her nude spine simply a chill – rather than blossoming into the fear which she suddenly felt from the belligerent cerulean haired girl's tirade. She held her hands up, trying to keep her expression neutral – cool and collected, though mournful as she spoke up once more, "I know perfectly well what I did, and I know it was wrong. Look, just-"_

"_Fine! Look, I don't have time to stand here babbling with you while Tsukune-kun might be _dieing!_ If you want to help that bad, help. Moka-chan, give the cunt back her shirt – even if she _does_ deserve the humiliation - and run ahead, tell the hospital wing that we're coming in." Moka heeded her second best friend's words and took off, worried about the brunette teen, recovering from the pain of touching her greatest weakness, and feeling overall uncomfortable with the entire situation._

_Even with the massive hostility boiling between the busty seductress and the near half-nude Mermaid, the unlikely pair managed to get Tsukune to the Hospital annex which stood off to the side of the main school building, though connected on the bottom floor. Half-way there, Moka had reached them and helped to escort them through the throngs of curious students which served only to annoy and impede their trek._

_When they finally had Tsukune admitted to the triage, a team of doctors quickly took him from their hands and carted him with haste through the hallways beyond the front admittance station. Kurumu breathed a sigh that did nothing to ease her worries. In fact, now that they were within the waiting room, she couldn't help the piercing fear that struck her – his health was directly out of her hands, which was a good thing seeing as she didn't know anything about first aid. Still, that scared her; the bleak and murky shadow obscuring the future from her also held within it's obfuscating veil Tsukune's health, and whether he would survive._

_Though she would be damned if she let others aside possibly Moka know of her fear, she didn't think that her Destined One would perish – the damage that he had received; the cuts and stab wounds that the Swimming Club's leader gave to him, while painful, didn't look like something he'd succumb to... Yet, she knew that even the strongest of men could fall to something so... insignificant._

_She roused from her thoughts upon hearing her name on Moka's lips. "What was that, Moka-chan? I... I wasn't listening." The succubus admitted. Her left arm was lightly cradled against her, and her right hand was lightly rubbing her elbow as she turned to face the worried vampire with a solemn look upon her own face. Shifting nervously, the pinkette walked up to her second best friend and tried to smile reassuringly, "He's going to be fine, Kurumu-chan. I know it – he's too stubborn to not pull through, right?"_

_Kurumu nodded vehemently, though it slowed and the sudden boost in courage that had inflated her hopes left just as fast. Her confident and strong violet eyes softened as she looked over to her friend and grasped her hand, "I'd like to think that he'll be fine – I want to run around the school, shouting that he will be... It's just, I don't want me doing that to come back and bite me in the butt."_

_Moka shared her accordance, understanding the feelings she had; similar thoughts were creeping up on her as well, and it was only exacerbated by the fact that he had been avoiding them before she had managed to sneak up on him in the halls today. His absence and subsequent avoidance of them had her wondering if he had been sick, or if some sort of ailment had stricken him, then adding this much damage... She didn't want to think about the implications._

_As both friends made their way over to one of the chairs, wanting to be as near to their injured friend as they were allowed to be, neither noticed the absence of the mermaid which had brought this hardship upon them. At the moment,they couldn't care less about the treacherous woman._

Kurumu's lips trembled though she tried her hardest to keep the tears from escaping, and even more importantly, her voice from cracking. The last was a pipe-dream, though she held onto her resolve as long as possible, trying both to finish the story, and look strong before her beloved, "Moka and me sat there, worrying about you for almost three hours before they came out and said that you had l-lived."

Tsukune watched the girl as she struggled with her emotions. It was, for reasons beyond him, difficult to watch her torture herself by holding everything inside. It clouded his mind in grief which wasn't entirely his own; it seemed foreign yet he couldn't trace it to any source had he cared to try. Seeing the bluenette struggle as she was, he reached over and gently placed his hand over the back of her own. She looked up suddenly, surprised, "Moka knows this, and if you will be sticking around me I suppose you need to as well; I don't die easy, and so long as I have a reason to survive, it will be even harder to put me to an eternal sleep."

'A reason...to live?' Kurumu found herself thinking, 'Could... Could he mean...' She felt a yearning in her heart, a need to ask him if he meant what she thought he did. However, the more rational and experienced side of her, as far as dealing with him, told her that it would not set her forward any to ask; she was lucky to get that out of him. Yet, her heart so eagerly wished to know, "S-so... So you won't leave, s-so long as y-..."

Her words hung in her throat, unable to voice themselves. She wasn't sure if it was her rational side restraining her tongue or if it was the butterflies frolicking about in her tummy that choked her up. Either way, she felt embarrassed about the way she stopped, her mouth hanging open for a second as she tried to force the words out. Finally, Tsukune had mercy on her and apparently knew her question, to boot, "At the moment, I have a few reasons to live. One is a dream, the other more of an ambition, and beyond that... Such things are best kept close at heart."

Soft pink lips puckered into a not-too-serious pout as she playfully batted her eyelashes at her beloved, scooting closer to him, "Aww c'mon, tell Kurumu-chan that she's somewhere in Ts~ku~ne-kun's mind!" The way she had scooted closer to him, whilst not rearranging her arm which she'd been using to prop herself up, had most of her considerable bust pressed together beneath the cream colored sweater she frequently wore.

Tsukune's eyes lingered on the temptress' not-so-subtle offering, but he forced the blush which had been threatening to rise down. Unfortunately, such control couldn't be boasted to the more primal reactions, namely the tingling swell which threatened to disrupt whatever control he had of the situation. Making a show of clearing his throat, the brunette young man then gave a very faint smile and changed the subject, "I hope the both of you haven't been neglecting your schooling whilst I've been out. Speaking of, has anything of note happened?"

Snapping back to a semi-normal posture, the succubus now sported a slight blush and diverted her eyes away from the man who she claimed to be her Destined One. "Kurumu, have you?" The question wasn't asked with any hostility, but his voice was sharp whilst saying her name. She didn't understand _why_, but she had a desire to answer him – an unnatural desire, beyond even her want to do so because of her adoration of the young man.

"W-well, you see... Moka-chan and me, we... We've _been_ going to school, but... Well, homework hasn't really, umm... _been completed?"_ She finished with a sheepish smile. Though he had lowered his head, shadowing his eyes, and his visage was almost flawlessly neutral, Kurumu knew that he wasn't exactly pleased to hear that news. She waited, expecting him to scold her yet was surprised when he let out a low sigh, "I don't agree, but... If I were a betting man, I'd have to assume you and Moka were here, with me all this time."

She had closed her eyes the moment he had spoken, bracing herself for the verbal lashing she was certain would come from him. When it didn't, and instead the calm and even tone of the young man came out with nary a hint of emotional taint, she felt her body relax. She looked up, still sheepish but also apologetic, "I'll remember to bring my homework here, next time."

"Let's hope there is no _next time_." Tsukune rebutted her comment with a small smirk, then went on, "Now, anything else?" She pressed a finger to her cheek lightly and then snapped it, turning to him with a wild look in her eyes, "Club activities started Friday! It was a bit unnerving at first, not to mention surreal – without you there, it didn't feel real. Anyway, our sempai is a very strange guy – a bit flirty and he looks like a pretty boy!"

Watching as she flared her arms out at that last bit in amusement, Tsukune interjected, "It sounds like you'd be right at home; a pretty boy who's flirty – what's wrong with that picture?" Kurumu huffed and crossed her arms, almost taking offense before she realized that he was teasing her. Finally she let her breath loose and drummed her fingers on the thick hospital mattress, "I'm not real good with guys like him."

"Oh, how do you mean?" He questioned, an eyebrow arched in curiosity as he lightly adjusted his position, bringing one leg closer to his body. The succubus' face lit up a bit and she hesitated a moment but managed to speak, "It's...a bit embarrassing, actually." Her lips pursed together while Tsukune waited patiently for her to continue.

Seeing her trouble, the young man fought a mental debate. Should he help her, tell her that he wouldn't judge her and would not give her any reason to feel embarrassed, or should he simply let it work itself out; let her either gather the will or give up? He was inherently tempted to simply wait for her to gather the resolve to speak, even if that meant he had to wait until a different day. However, his mind echoed back to his thoughts earlier and with a mental curse, he reached over and placed a slightly calloused hand upon her shoulder, "You needn't fret as you are; whatever it is, you should know that I am not one to judge without due cause."

A fluttering within her chest flared up, swelling her with an emotion she could only deem as happiness and love. She forced herself down from her natural high and smiled gratefully at the young man beside her, "Thank you Tsukune-kun!" She had a sudden feeling of panic but calmed herself, Tsukune had said he wouldn't think of her any different – in his own damnably complicated way, but the gesture was somehow sweeter, she found. Again, the fluttering rose up causing her to smile, "Um... Well, I just... I get embarrassed easily around guys like that. It's not that I him or anything, but... I feel, hmm... I dunno, I just kinda... _shrink_ on myself."

"Yet you're openly flirtatious with everyone, why would it embarrass you?" His tone held only curiosity, despite it seeming as though he was being accusing. It was his understanding that she was planning to entrap all of the males within Youki Academy to create a harem of men in her search for a Destined One, at least she had been before proclaiming himself to be that person whom she'd been searching for. While flattering, he doubted that her claims were true and so didn't put too much stock in her proclamation.

Cocking her head to the side, she then shook with a look of skepticism, "I was, but it was to get to my goal – a means to an end, or something like that. Anyway, I found that end – you, so I don't need to flirt with everyone like that." She explained, smiling blissfully as she stated that she had found him. Finally she stood up and took a few steps away from the bed and leaned back, stretching her back and inadvertently – however unlikely – placing her breasts on display once again by pushing them further out.

Returning from her attempt to rid the ache in her back, she smiled at the brunette boy, "To be honest with you, Tsukune-kun, I had to fight hard to not run away while I was doing..._that_. I could feel everyone's eyes on me, and it felt good; knowing that I was the one to gather all of the looks."

Silence stood between the pair for a few minutes, both enjoying the comfort that filled the void. Tsukune was interested in Kurumu now; she was a bit of an enigma, but she was also a bubbly girl who had just gotten caught up in a plot that she felt was important. He couldn't really blame her for that, it was the nature of everyone who'd ever been in a dire situation – though admittedly, most were very small blunders.

He was still wary about her, waiting for some moment of deceit – of betrayal – to occur where she'd try to stab him in the back, or slice Moka's head off. Yet, the more he thought about her and what he knew of her, including what he'd learned in these last few minutes, he found himself feeling as though she wasn't the type to do anything like that. The most glaring proof was that she'd been worried about him and had personally taken him to the hospital, even taking the assistance of the one who'd put him in the condition he'd been in.

He looked at the beautiful succubus out of the corner of his left eye as she got up and walked to the window, staring up at the moon with her hands placed on the window-seal. Her posture was relaxed, and her breathing seemed to be calm as well, and somehow he knew she was happy, content that _he_ was alive and well. It was strange, having someone so obviously and openly care for him despite the taciturn attitude he had given them. Not even his god-mother was so..._open_; her time with Isshin left her with irreparable emotional damage deep down, part of that being her inability to _not_ shield her emotions, or dampen them at least.

At long last, Kurumu turned around and her smile formed into a grin seeing Tsukune watching her. It sent a shiver down her spine, and small spark _elsewhere_ at the thought of him watching her - dare she say - admiring her? "What's on your mind, Tsukune-kun?" She walked up to his bed and placed a hand on the lowered railings, watching the man who held her heart.

"I was simply thinking about everything... Certain misconceptions I may have had. Nevermind that, you've yet to tell me what club you joined, Kurumu." Blinking, the teenaged girl smiled, "You're right, sorry!" Tsukune waved off the unnecessary apology with a light hand gesture and the faintest of smiles, "Don't. There's no reason – you've done nothing wrong."

"Last Friday, Moka and I had just left Nekonome-sensie's class when some guy came by and gave us a note, said it was from the Headmaster." Kurumu explained, then hopped back onto the bed and continued, "We looked at the note and realized that we hadn't joined a club; the note said that we were assigned to the Newspaper Club, so we told Nekonome-sensie who was...very overjoyed, to say the least!"

Tsukune felt his lips tug towards a smile as the seductress laughed, remembering the cat-like woman's antics. It made him wish he'd been there to witness it for himself – she was amusing at the dullest of times, so to see her _overjoyed_ – that would have been intriguing. A light moaning turned both his and Kurumu's attention to see Moka was stretching, one off-jade eye just barely open and the other closed tight. Altogether, it was cute.

"Mn? 'Kune?" She blinked, rubbing her closed eye while yawning. She stopped and blinked twice, somewhat opening her other eyes between the two. Finally, Moka's eyes darted open, "Tsukune!?" In an instant, he was being crushed in her embrace, literally. His croaked and twitching pleads for her to release him went unheard by the strong vampire who was talking into his shoulder, muffling her own words.

At long last, Kurumu – who had been laughing at the scene – rushed to the other side of his bed and pulled Moka off of him, "Geez! This is role-reversal if I've ever heard of it. Usually you're the one rescuing Tsukune-kun from me!" Moka blushed and pressed the tips of her index fingers together, "Ano, sorry about that. I – we just... We've been so worried, you've been out for seven days!"

He nodded and motioned to the other girl in the room, "I'm aware, she's told me already; I've been up for nearly thirty minutes. I apologize for worrying you two, though..." They both smiled; Moka's being a soft upturning of her lips and Kurumu's a toothy grin of glee.

"So what have you and Kurumu-chan been talking about?" Moka asked as she sat back down in her chair, which she'd moved a bit closer to his bed – as close as she could get it without actually being _in_ bed with him. Tsukune glanced to the lightly bronzed girl before returning his attention to the gentle vampire, "Currently, we were talking about the clubs which you two were forced to join - a _Newspaper Club_, I do believe. I was just informed that Nekonome-sensie had an... interesting reaction to the news."

A light giggle was stifled by the innocent girl, though she nodded her head, "Oh yes! It was very funny; she looked at us like we had just given her, ano... Oh, Cat-nip! Her ears and tail popped out and she jumped around, meowing happily. Half-way around the class-room, she stopped and looked at us, then thanked the heavens!"

The way Moka had explained it through and through, it seemed as if the apparent cat-youkai had completely fallen off of her rocker for a few minutes. He could also tell that Moka was a bit uncomfortable gossiping about someone; she was flushed and kept looking away. He'd have to make a point to tell Moka that so long as it wasn't harmful, it could be spoken of unless explicitly asked to be kept secretive.

"Makes one wonder why such a reaction came about? Did the other members get such an...odd showing?" His musings conjured a look between the two girls who then glanced at him with a sheepish smile. Kurumu looked as if she was fine, but her hands were messing with the hem of her skirt, a tell of nervousness. Moka on the other hand had become flushed, "We, well... We're the only members, other than our sempai."

Looking between the girls, he arched an eyebrow, "Truly? That's a bit peculiar... I would have thought that more would have joined a club _she_ was involved in – seems like a fun alternative to some of the..._clubs_ I noticed." Kurumu jumped in, "I know! Compared to the Knitting club, Gambling club, Thermal-something-nerdy club, and that weird photography club, the Newspaper club is like a neon sign."

"I don't know how half of the clubs are even _allowed_," Moka stressed, a hint of annoyance seeping into her voice. Brushing a few errant strands of pink hair out of her face, she continued, "It's like the headmaster isn't even trying to stop such behavior." Kurumu eyed her friend oddly, before something clicked in her mind, "Oh, I know what you mean; that lolicon fan-club? _Sick_."

Tsukune nodded his head once in concurrence, wholeheartedly feeling exactly what Kurumu's sudden greening of the face showed her feeling – though she was affected a bit more, her stomach churning from the thought. It honestly surprised him that a being of lust and seduction would feel that strong about such things, but it wasn't unwelcome – he found his respect for the young woman grow a bit.

Shifting his attention to Moka, he gestured to her after noticing the light frown and the fidgeting she was doing with her fingers; it meant that she had something she wanted to add, however her natural politeness as well as the manners that were likely _taught _to her – beaten into her during training – had her awaiting her 'turn' in the conversation. She blinked, confused and nervous before Tsukune explained, "I could tell you had something to add. Go ahead."

Giving him a kind smile, she shifted her weight to her right leg, "Whatever the reason, no-one joined the Newspaper Club, and on our first meeting Nekonome-sensie explained why she was so happy." Kurumu nodded, and resisted the urge to butt in; something she'd been trying to train herself to not do. It was an intuitive thing she supposed, but she _knew_ that Tsukune didn't exactly enjoy those that butted in for no reason, except a lack of control. In a bid to help gain his heart, she decided to try and break that habit of hers.

So far, her progress was going better than she had expected, if she were honest with herself – though not by much. She found it far, _far_ easier to control herself around her Destined One than when she was away from him, however. This training she was putting herself through also had helped her find out about Moka's reclusive social butterfly-ness. She would purposefully stop herself short and allow Moka to get a word in, trying to crack the meek shell she had formed, and as of late -at least around her – the innocent vampire seemed to be chipping away at the chink in the armor. She was proud, looking at Moka from across the room, she was already opening up more to Tsukune, it seemed.

"She told us that if no-one joined the Newspaper Club, then the Headmaster was going to cancel it until next year; it needs a minimum of three members to operate, plus one adviser." Moka explained, her pink bros knitting in remembrance of the worry and shock she had felt. It was a bit heart wrenching to the pink haired girl, seeing the excitable cat-like woman expressing the degree of sadness she had whilst explaining it to them. It seemed that she derived a great deal of personal joy from the club, and it's cancellation may have sent her into the dumps.

"In other words, you two and this sempai of yours are the only reason which the club is active?" He questioned, knowing the answer already. It seemed logical that the club would need that many people to operate, however simply _cutting_ it for a lack of participation had a duality-like logic to it. On one hand, it would conserve monetary funds for supplies and such, but on the other hand, it would be like cutting the yearbook from production – it simply wasn't heard of, and likely wasn't a popular move.

Kurumu nodded, "Yeah, we might have been forced to join some strange club, or even the_ Swimming Club!_" The look of horror and anger that contorted the attractive girl's face was enough to cause a brief chuckle to escape Tsukune, whereas Moka actually had to stifle several giggles. She found that the outspoken girl came equipped with a sense of humor that was usually invoked upon herself – that, or she had a hilarious knack for bad luck.

Waving his hand, Tsukune denied the possibility of that, saying that he'd have ensured that they were the only two members had the Headmaster dared to pull _that_ kind of stunt. "Oh, Tsukune-kun! You _do_ care!" Was the exclamation from the succubus as she grabbed hold of his right arm and hugged it to her, lightly pushing it into her chest. Moka's cheeks blossomed as her right eyebrow twitched, "Kurumu-chan, don't do that! T-tsukune's barely woke up; he could be hurt!"

"Well, love heals all, and with me Tsukune-kun will get all the lovin' he needs!" The succubus then stuck her tongue playfully out at the magenta haired vampire who shook her head in mock exasperation, a small smile showing as she did so, "Ano, Tsukune doesn't seem confortable, Kurumu-chan."

True to her words, the teenaged teen's face was flsuhed and his body was held rigid. His eyes were narrowed, staring intently at the cerulean haired girl who slowly released his arm, "Ah, umm... Sorry, Tsukune-kun. I guess-" She suddenly stopped, her fearful and worried expression turning to one of mischievousness. The reason for this is she noticed that his left arm, which was under the covers, was placed _strategically_ over a certain area of his body. A sly smile formed, "Oh, I didn't realize... I could offer to _help_ you with that..._situation_."

Barely noticeable, his eyes widened and then narrowed as his lips pulled into a taut, thin line. He was embarrassed that she'd noticed; it would only prove to offer much more ammunition for the girl. 'I'm going to regret ever being nice to her... I knew it. Ugh,' Tsukune thought to himself as a certain member of his anatomy pulsed, aroused by the sexual banter despite the annoyance of it's host.

_'You're much too prudish, boy.'_ The sudden psychic communique from the entity which oversaw him nearly caused the teen to jump. As it was, he reduced it to a mere shudder, 'I was under the assumption that you required youki to speak to me. We recently spoke, so how is it you've enough now to communicate?' The tone he asked it in, if one could have a tone whilst communicating telepathically, was slightly snappish and held a hint of surprise.

The voice's version of a laugh echoed forth before it's slightly masculine 'voice' answered him, _'We must have youki to do so, you are correct. However, you are ignorant as to the situation you've been placed; we are currently contained within a realm in which youki exists in mass abundance. In addition, that intravenous bag is charged with youki. We have enough youki to connect with you for short periods of time now.'_

This revelation wasn't quite shocking to Tsukune, however it filled him with a certain sense of both comfort and dread. He had been getting on well without the voice speaking to him, and while it would be nice to have a reference – of which he was abundantly certain the voice could act as – Tsukune wasn't entirely certain that it would be productive to have the voice speaking outside of a private setting, in which he didn't have to concentrate elsewhere.

'Hn. We will talk over that later. For the time being, exactly _why_ am I a prude?' He inquired with a mental eyebrow arched. His answer came from a warm feeling coursing through his veins, and after a moment he identified it as frustration, _'Before you are two specimens of your species – identical enough, anyways – which are interested in mating with you. We simply consider it imprudent that you do not consider their proposal.'_

Feeling his blush increasing, he could only take solace in the fact that his conversations with the voice – he'd found – elapsed under the same time-frame by which the Sharignan increased his abilities of perception, that being twenty-four seconds for every second which passed in real-time. 'Carnal desires don't concern me much at the moment, and in addition, only Kurumu has proposed such a thing,' Tsukune argued back, unsettled with the direction of the conversation.

Almost immediately, he received a very light chuckle and a feeling of weariness which he identified as the voice's disappointment, _'You are not attuned to the hormonal discharge around you, it seems. The one you call Moka is attracted to you – whether feelings associated with it are there, we know not. However, her carnal desires are for you.'_

Sighing in frustration, the brunette teen shook his head, _'_Be that as it may, I do not want to risk my attempt at a friendship with Moka, and I am wary of the Succubus; I am unsure if a friendship is truly a course of wisdom, or if it will lead to failure.' Another sensation crept up on him, this one seemed to be a wariness and unlike previously, the voice didn't respond for a few seconds. When it finally did, it's voice was a bit more masculine and seemed to carry seriousness in it's wake, _'Bearing the burden which your eyes will continue to place on you by yourself, that will lead to your failure. Many have fallen in that way, some harder than others. Ignore your baser instincts if that is your desire, boy... However, We will not overlook you when the path you may choose may very well lead you down the roads into irredeemable darkness.'_

'Irredeemable darkness... What do you mean by such words?' Tsukune questioned. He felt his eyes sting suddenly, much worse than when he was being alerted to danger, and just as the pain ebbed away he found himself feeling as though his stomach was freezing and burning all at once. It was a slow, grinding pain, even with the scorching acid atop it. Finally, it stopped, leaving him with hardly any resilience left, his breathing almost to the point of a hard pant, and his teeth gnashed together, 'Damn! What-what the hell was _that_?'

_'That, dear boy_,_'_ the voice spoke up in a bored monotone, one more lacking any vocal tell of either gender, _'is the beginning stages of the full force of the third tomoe. Too much longer, and they will suspect; some time before the full implications are thrust upon you, We shall inform you.'_ With a mysterious, cryptic and somewhat worrisome answer, he felt the psychic link with the voice leave his awareness, and the pressure on his mind dissipate. He blinked, shifting his eyes to the clock, three seconds had passed.

"-rumu, what are you _saying!?_ Tsukune's in no position to be doing things like...that. No offense to you, Tsukune – you're just barely recovered." Moka exclaimed in defense of Tsukune, then ensure he didn't take offense to being called, essentially, 'weak'. 'He's definitely not weak; he's one of the strongest people I've ever seen...' Moka told herself with a thin smile.

"I'm sure he'd feel a _lot_ better if I could show him how much he means to me, hehe~" The giggle that followed was one of both glee and lust. Kurumu desperately wanted to show Tsukune just how much she felt for him; she wanted to give herself to him completely, and every day the urge got stronger incrementally. She could see it now, her Tsukune-kun holding her tight, the two of them smiling and laughing after a night of joy - a date in which they both relaxed, talked, and ate delicious food which she'd prepared. Then, they would kiss, hands would roam across one another's body as they began to shuck their clothing in a passionate, sustained kiss in which their feelings were more than openly stated.

They would break apart and he would admire her form for the first time, taking in her nude curves, all carved in sexual perfection. Then she'd see him in all of his handsome manliness, and... 'Dammit all! I really need to stop fantasizing outside of my room!' Kurumu cursed, feeling the dampness of her undergarments between her legs as she lightly rocked her hips from side-to-side.

"Thank you, Moka. You haven't offended me," Tsukune assured her, then turned his head to the tomato-faced Succubus. Her hips were rocking, and her hands had moved to cover her face, her could see one violet eye peeking between a crack in her index and middle fingers. Though she was hidden well enough that he couldn't tell her emotions, he could plainly see that she was embarrassed and a bit ashamed, however she was also joyous. He sighed, tossing the speech he had intended to lay upon her away, "Kurumu, I'd appreciate it if you'd tone down your advances. It makes me...uncomfortable."

She nodded her head, though reluctantly. Her hands had yet to leave her face, but she'd began to rub them on her cheeks, trying to erase the blossoming heat. It was rather adorable, he had to admit, watching her antics. Her hands soon slid down in tandem with a sigh of relief, revealing her face with but the faintest traces of the blush staining the skin. Violet eyes opened to the world, and showed a repressed look of doleful worry which was soon confirmed, "Y-you're not angry with me, right?"

In truth, Tsukune wanted to tell her he was, wanted to say that it infuriated him when she did such things. That would have been a lie, however – a simple cruel ploy to halt her advances, and as much as he wanted to, he wouldn't allow himself to take the easy way out of the situation. Even if he didn't have that resolve, he could feel the strange sensation in his mind begin to ebb that desire away. At long last he shook his head, "No Kurumu, I'm not. I couldn't be angry at you for that... It's who you are; a Succubus. However, I do have to say, you told me it embarrassed you to do things like this, why then did you do it?"

Just as soon as the respite for the worry washed over her, easing the tension her muscles had instantly built up within a second, she felt as though she wanted to shrink upon herself. The question he asked, why she was acting as she did despite saying not an hour earlier that she was embarrassed from actions like that, both from herself and from other people. 'Great! He thinks I'm a liar, now! What in the Great-Lady's name can I do to show him I'm being truthful!?'

She figured that the truth was what he needed to hear, however... Kurumu eyed the other girl in the room with scrutiny, 'She shouldn't need to know such intimate knowledge of my kind... Though, she _is_ a vampire; they already have a god awful amount of stuff on every Ayashi to ever really exists.' Sighing aloud, she glanced to the floor, trying to figure out the best course of action.

She really just wanted to tell Tsukune; wanted it to be an intimate thing she shared with him, and not just some fact about her race. It was very important, and just as embarrassing to her. Clenching her eyes shut, she screamed within her mind, 'Why does everything have to be so difficult!?'

Moka frowned, she could tell that her friend was having a bit of trouble. With what, she didn't know – nor did it matter, so long as it didn't hurt Tsukune. Three different times her lips parted, a few words on the tip of her tongue, yet she couldn't form them – she couldn't bring herself to ask if her second best friend needed help. 'I know Tsukune won't think badly of her, but... Kurumu-chan..."

The brunette wielder of the long extinct Sharingan watched the young seductress struggle with some unknown decision. Part of his psyche tried to torment him, to tell him that she was trying to find some kind of _out;_ something to get her another chance. His logical sense told him slightly different; she had obviously settled on a certain thought, now it was merely circumstantial considerations as to how to say whatever was on her mind. He knew it to be true; he'd imagined telling Moka some of his past, getting it off of his chest – perhaps bring some form of final closure that his talk with Iori and his 'parents' simply didn't quite achieve.

Armed with near impeccable certainty of her troubles, Tsukune grunted and slid his feet around to the side of the bed. Moka, startled by the sound, looked at him, eyes wide as she made to grab him, "T-tsukune! You shouldn't be getting up!" He felt a warmth touch within him at her concern near his heart, but shook his head and wordlessly brushed her soft and dainty hand from his shoulder. Kurumu looked up, broken from her inner turmoil when the metallic clank of his mobile I.V. bag hit the bed as he slowly made his way over to her.

"T-...Tsukune-kun, Tsukune... Don't stress yourself, please get back in bed." Kurumu's concerned voice pleaded, but he merely shook his head, unsteadily making his way over to her. Her violet-blue eyes regarded him, taking in the sight of her bruised and battered friend, her Destined One, whilst he walked towards her. She knew that beneath the gown he was likely clothed in bandages with a few splotches of blood, and what wasn't covered was probably colored black and purple, 'He... He got hurt like that because of me... and _for_ me.'

He reached her and placed a hand on her shoulder, gazing into her eyes with his chocolate pair. Unlike anytime before, they weren't completely occluded with the careless indifference he routinely sported. They bestowed a look of understanding and comfort, shocking the Succubus for she had been sure he would have been ashamed of her, disappointed even. The silence stayed for a few seconds until the corners of his lips pulled into a very small smile, "Don't... I know what it's like; what you're struggling with. Tell me when you're ready. Until then, just _try_ to tone it down, some."

Shocked, she nodded and soon the shock passed to be replaced with happiness. She couldn't help herself as she grabbed him into a tight hug, though this time ensuring that her breasts weren't the main focus of such an intimate interaction. She felt the familiar itch and burn of tears in her eyes, but she wouldn't let them drop – happy or sad, it most certainly wasn't a situation to be tainted by tears. Kurumu could feel his warmth, both his brilliant radiance and the warmth of his body as she embraced him. She swore that she would never forget it; that this one memory would always be at the forefront of her mind.

'At least,' she though to herself with a smile, 'Until a better memory comes along!' Her heart fluttered as they pulled away from the embrace, suddenly missing the warmth of his body just as her hands missed the tingle of his warm skin barely concealed beneath the sandpaper-like hospital garment. In an attempt to calm her floating heart, the young girl though to herself, 'Calm, Kurumu, calm... We'll have a _lot_ more of these interaction, I hope at least.'

"I'm not being cruel, at least intentionally," The voice of her beloved brunette said in a low voice, keeping his exchange between himself and the bluenette as best as he could. Observing him as he glanced to the ground, she noticed that he seemed a bit troubled by what he was trying to say. She was prepared to offer him the same deal he had given her, when he shook his head, seemingly aware of her plans.

After a moment, he reared his head back up to eye-level and let out a light sigh though it had no signs of any emotional baggage he was trying to vent. His brown eyes softened for just a moment, "I'm not a..._people person_. At the best of times, social interactions are...difficult; I don't have much experience with the spoken word, at least in public and with...friends."

She eyed him oddly, not quite understanding what he was getting at. 'Why can't he be straight forward, and speak normally?' The embodiment of lust was quite exhilarated that Tsukune was sharing part of himself with her, but really, it was a bit difficult to understand him at times – with his big words. Mentally she pouted and crossed her arms, not finding it fair that he was so smart sounding.

Kurumu titled her head and blinked, "So you're saying that you suck at talking to people, or what?" Immediately, she felt her heart drop and the guilt bubbled up within her stomach. She regretted saying it as soon as it left her mouth, understanding quite well how it could be taken as a negative, derisive statement. Luckily, Tsukune wasn't normal and actually seemed to be the embodiment of a paradox – the simplest of things angered him, while more complex things tended to have a welcoming committee – if only so the intellectual teen could study it, pick it apart, and become all the smarter from it.

So she was thrown for a loop when he nodded, sporting an unreadable expression, "Indeed. My point however, is that such extremes... like yours – the flirtatious comments, and the physical tantalization – are rather shocking. I don't boast any experience with women, and for one to simply act as you do..."

Her eyes narrowed for a moment in thought as her mind ran at full power in an attempt to decipher what her Destined One had just said. Somewhere within herself, she knew exactly what he had meant, even if she couldn't understand some of the words. It was a feeling that she wasn't familiar with – like a sudden burst of knowledge that you don't realize you have, until it reveals itself. Confused about it as she was, she ran with it and chalked it up to her mother's habit of reading to her when she was younger; maybe it _did_ help her more than she or her mother had thought?

Soft lips perked into a smile, bordering a grin, "I don't mean to embarrass you, Tsukune-kun...much. It's just so much fun to _tease_ you." 'Not that teasing you is as far as I want things to go! It's so frustrating; I love that he doesn't just fall right over for me, but... He makes it so difficult!' Kurumu moaned to herself.

A single bemused grunt answered her at first, before a slight smirk crawled into place, "Some might call your _teasing_ foreplay, you know?"

The teenage seductress couldn't help the confidant and yet embarrassed giggle that escaped her. She was about to retort when the thick pastel white door opened, and in walked a young petite woman, a small nurse's cap atop her dirty blonde hair cut into a classic pixie style. Her green eyes blinked through the small spectacles that set on her nose before the smile she sported slipped into a small frown, "Aono-san, I'm glad you are up and about, but I would appreciate it if you would return to your bed now."

Kurumu pouted, however she quickly let go of the playful sadness. She was all smiles as she helped Tsukune back to the bed, which meant she walked beside him and simply enjoyed the proximity to her mate of fate. Every time she got close to him, her heart fluttered and a nervous quibble erupted in her stomach, but it didn't impair her as the usually cases of such feelings would. Instead, it made her giddy, relaxed and for some reason, she found that her usual inhibitions were slightly lowered. The proof of _that_ was in just how she acted towards Tsukune; she'd _never_ pulled any of the other boys she tried to seduce into her chest to hug them, nor had she heeded, or even listened to them either.

Tsukune brought something out in her, something different but welcome. It felt as if part of her had been _found_, as odd as it sounded. She didn't feel the need for attention which she normally did, and she found herself to be more patient and at ease. Perhaps it was something her mother had neglected to mention about finding your Destined One, or perhaps it was just her being strange. It didn't matter to her though; so long as she had Tsukune, she would be fine.

The nurse, a Chikiru Inagi, had asked him a few questioned once he had returned to his bed. Some questions seemed odd, like if her felt as though he was bloated with gas in his neck, or if he felt as though his human form wasn't holding properly – if it was uncomfortable, physically. A few of the questions were routine, but the one thing that caught him in a fit of minute embarrassment was when she drew back the curtain around the bed, effectively occluding the two girls' presence within the room, When she'd done that, she walked up to him and eyed him for a scant second, then quickly flipped back the bottom-half of the hospital gown, "The fractured hip-bone seems to be healing well, and you were standing on it with no problem."

She glanced away from the area of her focus and the corner of her mouth inched up. She gave a light hum and then quickly fell back into her professional mentality, "It's good that you can put weight on your hip, however I want you to keep any strenuous activity to a minimum for a while."

The teen went to speak, but she pulled out a notepad and produced a pen from...somewhere. With her finger raised into the air, asking for him to hold his comments in, she explained, "I'm aware that you have Katsubo for physical education. He's already been informed, but just in case he has any objections, I'll write you out a medical release when you're discharged – likely tomorrow afternoon."

Nodding, he thanked her and soon enough she had left. Moka stood by his bedside, while Kurumu sat sideways on the mattress beside her. "She said you'll probably be released tomorrow, right?" Moka inquired, a hopeful smile on her lips. He nodded, "Yes, if all goes well, I should be out of this place by then. Is there something you want to do?"

Kurumu smiled, but said nothing while Moka shifted her eyes to the side for a moment, "We've really missed hanging out with you; you've been hard to find, and when we got to finally see you... The pool incident happened." Tsukune felt a small twinge of guilt in his chest as she spoke. Her voice was so soft and sad, obviously somber as to how their time 'reuniting' with him ended. Even more so was the fact that he had been avoiding them, thereby making them feel lonely.

Closing his eyes, the young man suddenly felt like a heel. In his attempts to protect himself, he had actually hurt the two people that cared about him here, 'It wasn't like I did it out of spite. I never even _asked_ for their friendship, and yet... I have it.' It was true; he came to the school hoping to just barely pass and get his diploma. 'Heh. Seems a lot of plans have changed; now I want to do my best – maybe have a chance at entering college, or at least obtaining a better job. Had planned to phase the girls out, but now... I can't repay their loyalty like that.'

That was especially true. Their loyalty swelled the fortified and warded emotional fortress of his heart. The fact that Kurumu followed him and hung onto his every word, for the most part, just to be _around_ him plucked lightly at his heartstrings. Now, she had even been willing to forfeit her life for him, it seemed; when he had rescued her as she was moments away from playing a deadly game of chicken, she had murmured a few words – words that had shocked him and incited his rage beyond it's original levels at the mermaids.

Moka had been with him through his first month in the school, although he hadn't been as good a person to her – abandoning her moments after she had found him during his two week hermitage like he had. Saizou had been a test of resilience and endurance for him, and he had passed somehow. He was certain that Moka would distance herself from him after he had murdered another student, even if it was in self-defense. Yet, the kind blood loving young girl had only gotten closer to him, and even admired him for his bravery.

Then came Kurumu, who had caught him off guard and somehow charmed him to follow her every whim. The pink haired girl had stood by him even after he had been instrumental in tormenting her at the succubus' behest. Then, he had saved her from herself and the seductress when her _other side_ had appeared – that rude and arrogant version of Moka, the aspect of a supposed 'true vampire'.

Now, through all of the excitement that had taken place in this first month, she was _still_ by his side with Kurumu. They'd given up any personal time they had likely possessed in order to spend it with him, here in the hospital bed. Where he lay, practically comatose. A bitter laugh sounded in his mind, 'It probably wasn't too different from me being absent... Thanks to me, they likely didn't spend time together – at least as much as they could have. Likely, they were tracking me.'

In retrospect, they had sacrificed quite a lot for someone whom they didn't even know, just on the principle that they both desired his friendship, and in one of the two cases – more. The young man wasn't quite sure if they were simply nuts for giving up their time and energy for him, despite his subtle actions against them, or if they were wiser than most – and definitely far more dedicated. Was it a good thing, or a bad thing – their tenacity? He shook his head lightly, 'We shall see in these coming months, if they're a positive or negative influence... I at least owe them that much.'

Looking up to his two friends, he didn't inhibit the small genuine smile that stretched into existence. These two souls desired to befriend him, that was beyond incredible as both had been given chances to fall in the many traps which _fan-girls_ fell into; the fighting, the fickle desire to know his inner secrets, monetary grubbing/ gold digging, and the abandonment. Though they fought, it wasn't explicitly over him, it was the Succubus' plan as a whole – though he was a focal point. They gave him his time, and had _yet_ to really try to dig any personal information out of him, even when given the chance. Neither showed any interest regarding money, or any sort of prestigious background he may have, either. Finally, during his hermitage, his fan-girls in the Human Realm would have given up on him after three days, whereas Kurumu and Moka had missed him and happily reunited with him without anything more than confusion and worry in the way of 'hard feelings'.

"It's nice to see you smile, Tsukune." Moka complimented him truthfully, enjoying the sight of true merriment upon his face. The fact that it was only a small amount didn't bother her; it was nice to see him with _any_ emotions, let alone a positive one. She placed her hand upon his forearm, and he looked at her in curiosity. She, in turn, smiled back at him, "I've never really seen you smile like this. Have you, Kurumu-chan?"

The succubus shook her head, scrutinizing her magenta haired friend for a moment, then turned her attention back to her brunette love interest, "No, I can't say that I have. You look cute, _handsome_." His cheeks visibly flushed for barely a second before he managed to drain the blood from his face, narrowing his eyes. Despite this, his smile didn't leave, although it did shrink some and the succubus took note of it, "Don't be like that now, Tsukune-kun!"

Crossing her arms in jovial petulance only served to push her malleable breasts up, making them more pronounced. This was noticed by Tsukune, but he didn't comment, nor allow any physical tells to show that he had. Whether she knew that she had and was disappointed in his lack of reaction, or she simply wanted to do it, Kurumu stuck her tongue out, "Mnnnn!"

"Careful," Tsukune monotonous reply came, his voice sounding flat. She stopped making the noise and retracted her tongue, however she kept up the petulant act and only opened her right eye to look at him, "Stick your tongue out at me again, and I _will_ take it away from you."

The corner of his mouth curved into a smirk, and his chocolate eyes danced for a mere moment with jubilee and laughter. 'Yeah,' Tsukune thought as Kurumu's cheeks lit up and Moka fought to keep her shocked laughter to a minimum, 'I believe these next few months shall prove...insightful, and maybe even... Fun.'

**Good Afternoon, my good fans. So, I realize just how long it's been since my last update, and for that, I apologize. As I stated in my reply to one of my reviewers, the unemployment office got hit pretty hard a month ago, and hasn't been open since (Spermicide evader managed to cop 20 of the twenty-four computers, and damage most of the cameras). Anyway, I've got a few chapters finished for this, and two other stories, though I shan't post them until I'm at least half-way done with this story... Which isn't for a while, I do believe. I may give you a ****double update, whenever the fuck it is that I get to update again (1/16/13 as of this writing). **

**Anyway, you all know the drill. Read, Review, vote on the poll if it's been updated/ if you care, smoke some green, eat, share with me, Review a second time out of boredom, rinse and repeat.**


	10. Wolves Descend

**G'day Ladies and Gents. Now, before I get to answering the REVIEWS (Of which there were a decidedly moderate chunk missing compared to the norm as has been assumed based upon the past three chapters) I have a few announcements to make. First, I must inform you that I am, indeed alive... Now many of you might have thought that this was clear when I posted my last update, but I fear some of you believed me to be a zombie. **

**That is not the case. As it is, the best I can fathom is that some of you beleived that this not-T-virus could be transferred electronically. I am fairly certain it can't. If you start to gnaw on your arm, hit yourself. If you then attack yourself vigorously, I apologize and admit I was wrong. I will not, however, pay for nor attend your funeral. **

**Secondly, I and my beta/almost co-author have been reworking this story's plans. It has shifted towards a new direction that will incorporate a bit more direct Naruto-universe content. As such, it's future now violates the 'soft rules' allowing me to keep this story strictly in the R+V archive and as such, it will be changing place...within the year. Don't act like you don't know I'm a lazy SOB.**

**Finally... I STOLE A PIE! **

**Now, to respond to reviews (For which my literary stomach growls from starvation.)**

**Kuyou Fox: You sly little bastard! Thanks for **_**finally**_** reviewing... Fuckin' stuffed plushie. Anywhore, you think the future of this story will be as we both hope? For your - and my own sake (Sanity- I hope so as well.**

**Pyromania101: Homework? The hell happened to that bloody dog and it's insatiable appetite? Disregarding that, thank you for reviewing, my friend. I'm not sure what I will do with Tamao... It's not that including her would cause any problems, but I am simply unsure of if she warrants a more recurring role. Might do a poll... Might forgo it. **

**As for our beautiful snow flower... She will turn up soon-ish, though it will only be in cameos; she won't be joining the 'group' for a bit longer... After the group, well... Can't spill the beans, yet. Let's just say that the Mizore lovers will be pacified if I am able to pull this off decently.**

**Ressan: Thank you once more for your review, and that will be revealed in time. I will give you a little peace and let you know that the revelation is coming within the next five to seven chapters, and I can only hope that it is a decent reveal. **

**As for his training, well... I have his physical training and a few unique branches of training planned out and easily beleivable. Adding in the Shinobi techniques is a bit trickier... I've developed a way to make it work, but it's a bit crude, that is it may not be the smoothest explanation I've ever made.**

**SilverFLameHaze: I feel I must thank you on three fronts. The first, of course, is for reviewing plain and simple; not many take the time out to do it - for myself and others deserving of it. The second, is for the empathy towards that missed oppertunity. While it had, indeed, passed and di put me in a rut, I managed to drag myself out and got another slot of work, which I used a portion of to acquire this laptop.**

**My third and final thanks is more suited to you, specifically. I perused your profile and realized the thin path I have carved that fits within your preferences... Pfreferences which, I admit, we both share. However, as you, myself and many more likely know, preference doesn't breed niche.**

**Since you like this story, you may like another which will be coming out soon. Keep an eye out for it, Keelah Se'lai.**

**(T)ellimicus (Sun)dance: I will refer to you as T-sun, I have decided as I am quenched for time - must get this done before going to town in less than twelve hours and it is four in the morning, and I still must sleep. **

**While I agree Moka is a bitch, your data is a little skewered... Of course, you may be referring to what the anime has stated, and if that is the case, I am clueless. Most of my readers are aware that I lack local internet, and so downloading manga is my only connection to the series. Ergo this fact that the rosario can only be unclipped due to certain feelings, or that he is called Moka's 'Destined One' is lost on me (And shame on the translaters for THAT.)**

**Now as for Tsukune catching her easily? He didn't, but he is also not that knowledgable of his own powers yet. It would be akin to someone in a state of shock doing something extremely strenuous - like lifting a car. They don't know just how damaging it was/could have been to them until it wears off, or a proffessional looks at them. Not a great analogy, but I'm not here for my skills of comparison.**

**You're right, I made my own mechanism to the rosary which has yet to be revealed, and it should be clear that he doesn't LOVE Moka... She's physically desireably, and she does have an innocent personality, both of which somewhat attact him - but that doesn't mean he LOVES her.**

**Put it another way, think back to that one girl that you would've like to dig out and dive into, but knew that a tiger and a deer would find more in common than the two of you. No LOVE, no desire for much of a long relationship... Simple carnal attraction.**

**To quote you, 'That aside', thank you for enjoying the story thus far and reviewing. Also, I would like to take a look at this idea you have. PM it to me, and I will get back to you with my thoughts.**

**Goichi: Totally...**

**Guest: Thank you for your review? Also, FUCK! I've been face-booked!**

**Face-booked, noun: When people use you as a median to argue, without adressing you, yourself and at times ignoring you altogether.**

**I hate facebook.**

**Prodigal Priest:**

**First, quick Priest, I need a blessing for I have been Face-Booked! **

**Secondly... Hahahah! Well, I will tell you that optomism dies here, for now at least. Enjoy the reception and Gin's Debut with a grain of salt... I tried to do something beleiveable considering he IS a WEREWOLF.**

**Tell me how I did.**

**ManlyMonk:**

**Picked up on that did you? Yeah, I placed that part to hint to future events, and such a thing is entirely possible although they will have some serious issues to work through, first. As far as the 'dreams' go, well, as I've told numerous people: all will be revealed in less than ten chapters.**

**Guest: Thank you for your Review. Also, I STOLE A PIE!**

**Hyptohetical Spiritual Entity: Indeed, that is a terrible pit-fall that many do fall through. You are not alone in the infuriating rage that swells when such a thing happens. Unfortunately, there are times when it must happen lest Writers Block set in, and for that I apologize in advance for ever doing so.**

**Ah, that makes sense. Thanks for elaborating on that; you speak the truth. He does have a lot of time to himself, and between his past and analyzing that, and Asura teaching him to keep a level head amongst other things that are to be revealed, he knows that lying to himself for mere ego and pride is detrimental. Best to have hurt pride and fix that hole in your stance than brag about your 'glorious' bullet wound killing you in t-minus 10 seconds...**

**I understand completely then. I had the same, but mine were borne of a manic depressive background, more-so than simple anger that built up - though there was plenty of that, too. Yeah, it's amazing just how wimply one can outwit and demoralize one's adversaries by the simplest of actions - crude and aggressive may they be. Complete indifference shows weakness, but once faced and coming out on top, it serves its purpose and most stay wary. The dog that doesn't bark, and all that.**

**And I look forward to your next review, my quantum entangled artificial intelligent friend.**

**Melkor44 (Or Melko, not sure, sorry.): Thank you for that compliment, and you deserve a goddamned cookie for noticing that! Not a single person mentioned my attempt to gift them with an extended chapter for making them wait so damn long.**

**I enjoyed your hypothesis, but I will have pity on you. It doesn't happen in the canon Naruto timeline; while it has elements OF Naruto's main storyline in it, it holds no canon chronological times and the villages don't exist; at best, this takes place in an alternate Warring Clans Era.**

**I am greatful for you explaining my folly to me, and I will attempt to make up for it. Please make note that this chapter, through thirteen, have been completed and being the lazy SOB I am, I may not correct them. However, future chapters WILL be corrected of this issue.**

**You are correct in your assessment.**

**Well, Tamao displayed wavering signs of guilt in the fight, near the end. Thus, it only made sense to have her attempt to make ammends - to me, at least. I figured that Kurumu, being who she is -outspoken and very opinionated - would be the best candidate for an outburst of anger; she's very shaken at Tsukune's state and his potential killer tries to give him aid. She doesn't seem like the type to handle stress silently and well, so the paranoia and added anger taken into consideration, and she just... Explodes.**

**I am unsure if she will. Pehrpas, but don't hold your breath for it.**

**Thank you for your well-wishes!**

**Bigreader the Omniverse: I will say thanks for your corrections here. I never would have noticed the 'Dismember it', more-so than the others. **

**Nah, my stories are infected with the not-T-virus. Zombie stories that feed on other stories...Somehow. Leaving that derailed train of nuclear horse-piss behind, It does indeed exist in an AU timeline.**

**I agree with your feelings on that, though I think I've a far-off explanation. They're on a different planet that gets sent the shitty prototypes of Apple devices. Hence, computers and iHearts EKG machines, but not Mossbergs, furbies (remember those little evil bastards?), or Su-47's.**

**Jutsu: In a way, Training montage: Less of a montage, more of several trainers buffing him behind and somewhat in view of every chapter, Big weapon vs. Skill: Plans, lots of plans.**

**Guest: Hulu, I told you, go put your tampon in and stop bleeding all over the goddamned floor! The maid **_**JUST**_** cleaned from your inconsiderate tryst LAST CHAPTER! **

**Fuckin'... Basketball... Sunset... Down with the bloody red bitch!**

**Disclaimer: I own this as much as I own your first born krumpet. To help me own your first born krumpet, I have put this petition together. If you would please sign, I would appreciate it. 'Down with the blood red bitch!' I STOLE A PIE!**

**Chapter 10: Wolves Descend.**

_His eyes narrowed as he dodged another spinning heel kick with a one-handed cartwheel and subsequently avoided a sweep kick by the second man with sheer luck. As he straightened himself from the cartwheel, he was forced back to miss the thin, sharp rod passing mere inches away from his head. He released a sigh and grunted with a jump._

_Entering into a spinning heel-kick in mid-air, he knocked one of the men across the face, sending him to the ground __–__ though he didn't stay there for long. 'Just a few more minutes...' He thought to himself and took in a deep breath while preforming a set of hand seals, then wordlessly released a volley of six soft-ball sized plumes of fire which spread out in a ninety-degree arc before him._

"_Housenka? I would have thought better of you, Uchiha!" Chouza Akamichi spat out and enlarged his right arm, swatting the fast balls of fire into nothingness. The Uchiha shook his head and jumped back twice, just in time for the redheaded man to realize that a slight pain was prickling the underside of his shrinking arm. Turning it over, his black eyes widened upon seeing the six shuriken stuck into his flesh, all of them covered with one of the unique and signature weapons of the Uchiha clan: paper bomb seals._

_And each of the three covering every shuriken was alight. "Go, get outta here!" Chouza exclaimed in panic, worrying for his two comrades rather than his own safety. The slightly shorter one beside him, a stalky brunette man with pure blue eyes nodded and jumped away, "Right away, come Raiga!"_

_Sighing in an annoyed manner, the slightly feminine man retreated back as well, "Fine. I was so looking forward to preforming funeral rights, too..." The cool gray eyes of the tallest man of the three glared with boredom and a more than a little gloom through Chouza and to the Uchiha across from him. He tightened his hands around the two sharp pikes that were his weapons and helped to power and direct his jutsu, in both anticipation and annoyance._

_In just five seconds, the tags went off with a massive explosion, kicking up a great deal of dust and smoke from the black powder. It was the perfect environment for a surprise attack __–__ one which their opponent used well. In literally no time, Raiga found himself dodging another volley of 'pheonix flowers', expecting them to also contain explosive tag-laden shuriken. After dodging a thrown set of kunai, he looked over and briefly noted that his hunch was correct, before he found himself in a predicament as from point blank range, he heard, "Katon: Ryuuka no jutsu!"_

"_Goddamnit!" Raiga yelled and jumped to the side, only to see another masked Uchiha jump in his way with a single seal made with his hands and then stomp his foot on the ground, cracking the earth mere inches in front of him to send forth a curtain of fire. Gritting his teeth, he jumped high into the air, avoiding both jutsu when from behind him, words were whispered in his ear, "Today, the earth claims _you_ as it's prize. Katon: Neppa!"_

_Raiga growled and spun around, drawing his two pikes which he considered to be short swords and crossed them, coursing electrified energy through them, "Raikyuu!" Rapidly, the electricity condensed into a ball of lightning that was hurled at the Uchiha who had just slammed his hands together. The crackling ball flew at the Uchiha who was hit, however he simply faded from sight, 'What!?'_

_Shifting his weight as best he could, he noticed that his opponent was beneath him. Gritting his teeth, the gloomy man felt a great rage boil within him; he'd been _tricked!_ 'Fucking Uchiha and their illusions! I'll bury this bastard, or die trying!' He mentally assured himself, and brought his swords together, "Raiton: Raiden!"_

_Performing a mid-air flip to set himself upright, Raiga began to charge as much lightning-nature energy around and within his body as he could physically handle. The crackling of his body was only beaten by the sudden and intense flashes of white, blue, and bright yellow sparks of the multiple polarity currents connecting around him. Raiga's continuing yell from the end of the name of this technique had turned into a maniacal laughter as his gloomy-turned-maddened eyes glared down to the featureless Uchiha while he descended faster and faster to his target._

_Within fifteen feet of his target, Raiga's speed suddenly increased and the last few feet were passed in literally a second as he slammed into the ground. The massive explosion of sparks died down, revealing a small crater and a visibly fatigued Raiga. His target, the Uchiha however, lay not beneath him twitching with the many volts of electricity coursing through his body. Instead, from behind him, an infuriated Raiga only heard the words, "Die."_

_The only thing he saw was the rushing form of the Uchiha, carrying a short wakizashi in a reverse grip. He didn't know what had hit him before the searing pain in his neck took hold and his vision blurred away, just as a feeling of numbness and vertigo overcame him. Raiga would think he had died at the hands of the Uchiha who had beheaded him, the truth however... wasn't such._

_Laying atop the man was the vacant eyed form of the blue eyed man, three shurkien glowing orange in heat and still charring the clothes the man wore whilst boiling the skin near the incision. Through his throat was a long pike, roughly a foot and a half in length with a small hoop at the end._

_When he had been skewered with the pike, it had launched the Fuuma clan member backwards where he had landed and stabbed Raiga through the crown of his skull, killing him instantly. The masked Uchiha slowly walked up to the duo and watched them, studying their death poses, contemplating something only he would know, deep in the recesses of his mind. He stood, as if waiting for something to happen, and finally... It did._

"_Uchiha! You fucking wretched red-eyed bastard, you've killed my comrades!" The unmistakable voice of Chouza yelled out in fury. The Uchiha barely inclined his head to acknowledge his last adversary, and calmly backed away to dodge the shallow right-hook which extended outwards a good five feet as the limb grew to titanic proportions._

"_Interesting that you would say that, Akamichi," He listlessly spoke with a hint of amusement. Chouza growled and jumped into the air, and immediately began to increase his body mass in great proportions to the point that he was easily fifteen feet tall and ten times as heavy. His angered face stared down at the diminutive stick that was the damnable Uchiha as he fell through the air, "This is for Takashi-san!"_

_The Uchiha lifted his head and an audible sigh escaped his obscured lips. Performing a set of hand-seals, he whispered, "Katon: Houka" Within a second an orange-yellow ball of fire escaped through the ten holes where his mouth was and shot into the air quickly, colliding with the large chest of the enormous Akamichi, where it exploded into a twenty-foot plume, blowing a one-foot hole through the man's armor, scorching the armor around the explosion and searing any unprotected skin to a second degree burn._

_However, Chouza had the final laugh and landed on top of the Uchiha, squashing him into a bloody paste. Or so it seemed. The redheaded man's body decreased in size as he pulled himself to his feet, leaving him standing in a five-foot deep crater of his own design, only to have his torso separated from his waist._

_Screaming, however, was not heard. Instead, Chouza merely chuckled bitterly as his lower half fell apart into ash and was scattered by the wind while, at the same time, his stomach began to produce ash which soon bulged and contorted into vague leg shapes before gaining color, revealing his lower limbs clothed in the same clothes as he, himself was, "Thought you had me, didn't you?"_

_A single, short chortle escaped the ambiguous Uchiha, "No... I honestly expected the other two to be corpse-walkers, too. A shame, it's such a pity to have to waste this on _just_ you."_

_Anger was present on Chouza's visage, however there was also disbelief and curiosity just as evident now. He soon sauntered up his diminished courage and ran at the Uchiha, enlarging his fist which the black haired man easily dodged beneath. As he spun around, so had Chouza and he had increased his body size by roughly a half and was once more running towards the Uchiha, "Nikudan Sensho!"_

_He jumped into the air and his entire body turned bulbous and round, and soon began to spin. As he landed, his body spun out with a little difficulty before he raced with menacing force towards the enemy of his benevolent lords, the Senju. The Uchiha stood in place, watching with what seemed to be boredom as the large rolling body-made-projectile came towards him with the full intent of squashing him flat and ending his existence._

_Suddenly, his stance changed __–__ just a minute amount __–__ and he braced himself with his legs, __"__Senju Tobirama, your brilliant mind's tweaking of your tragic ritual has become useless."_

_Within the thin eye-sockets of the mask, if one were looking at just the right angle, they would have seen the three tomoe sharingan which was swirling in orbit around the pupil shift, elongating into three points that then curved and left an ever thinning black line trailing to the right of it, connecting half-way up the 'sickle' next to it._

"_Goodbye, Chouza," The Uchiha murmured as the titanic wrecking ball of flesh came ever closer, "Kamui."_

_The world warped, and curled in on itself, upon Chouza. A black pin-prick erupted at the epicenter, where, for a split second, everything was blindingly white. The visible world bent and shuttered for just a second before the body of the Akimichi sunk into the black hole. Without a sound, it faded away and the world returned to normal, only a few small scraps of clothing and a chink of his curiass left behind._

It was strange, Tsukune finally decided as he sat in his hospital bed sipping a cup of water that Inagi-san had given him, the way he had awoken from this latest dream-vision of his. Unlike most of the other times, his Sharingan had been active, it's crimson scintillation bathing his room in a light angry hue and tinging his vision with a light red tint.

Neither, he quickly discovered, had he been out of breath or covered in sweat as he usually had been. This, he figured, was not normal and thus was strange, and so, he had decided that a meditation was in order to see if something within him had _changed_ somehow, or if he was simply...getting used to it, perhaps?

The immediate issue he found was that he _couldn't_ meditate. The irritating reason for this was simple: the heart monitor behind him and to his left was steadily emitting the continuous cycle of noises, interrupting the induction of his mental surveillance. He had quickly given up, after contemplating the destruction of said medical equipment before deciding that the impending lecture, possible fines and likely punishment wasn't worth the trouble.

So he waited, and waited, and _waited_, _and waited._ Twice, the nurse had come in and checked up on him, and then once more to bring him lunch which, while it wasn't 'hospital food' – using the common expression, it certainly wasn't the greatest assortment. Clearly some kind of...meat, but he knew that such information should remain undisclosed, for the survival of his appetite.

Eating most of the 'catered' food, Tsukune found himself staring out the window to his hospital room, a light frown tugging at his lips. His thoughts were on his time with the girls the previous night, and everything which had transpired... It was..._nice_, he had finally decided. Spending time with people – especially people whom he had a light fondness of, and who had an equal or greater closeness to him... as irrational as such a thing was to him.

'Perhaps not _irrational_, but more towards a lack of caution?' He pondered, and finally nodded, pleased with his rectification of his thoughts. He realized that progress had been made between the three of them, whether they or he liked it, or not; something he wasn't quite capable of answering with one-hundred percent clarity. He felt a connection form between himself and Kurumu as she retold how she, Moka and the mermaid managed to bring him to the infirmary – how utterly worried she and Moka were for his safety.

Such loyalty and concern wasn't something you could simply brush off, especially considering his track-record preceding the events. Only if he cared naught for his integrity and his own -ablieit skewered- form of honor could he allow himself to ignore their actions and continue on with his path.

A light grunt was made, the only sign of mild frustration in the solitary teen's thoughts. Then, there was what the voice had said. It was all disconcerting and more than a little worrying, if cryptically annoying. '_Bearing the burden which your eyes will continue to place on you by yourself, that will lead to your failure_' What does that mean? A curse they may be considered, but I find it arduous to believe that their 'burden' would '_crush_' someone... So many meanings, so few answers, hn.'

It frustrated him – how the voice would only speak in cryptic verbal poises, especially when – if he were correct – it was something that held quite a bit of weight over his future. Placing that momentarily on the back-burner, Tsukune turned his attention to Inagi-san who had once more entered his room with a very mild pep in her step. As she walked up to the side of his bed, he eyed the clipboard which she held firmly in her grip, 'She's giving the newest documentation a fair bit of attention. Likely, I've been resigned to take a few tests, more time in here, damn it all.'

"Well, Aono-san, " Inagi began, fiddling with the paper clipped at the forefront of her board, eyes squinted lightly behind her glasses, "I do believe that I have some good news for you."

Outwardly, he continued to eyes her in a nearly bored stare from the corner of his eye, though his thoughts shifted as to what may be written upon the leaflet that held a major portion of her attention. His luck would have likely intervened, causing the doctor's to find some rare strain of virus that they'd '_need_' to study – keeping him in quarantine as a direct sequential effect. At least, that's what he had figured, against his rational thoughts, which had placed the paper as a medical release from the medical ward.

Seeing the expectant, but otherwise blank stare of the brunette teen, her light lime green lips pursed upwards as a small, bemused laugh escaped as low as a whisper. Deciding to cut the threat he was proverbially hanging from, she informed him, "Well, as of five minutes ago – pending your signature – you may resume classes, so long as you yield to the health directives, attached to the form."

He nodded, silently asking for the paper while a low sigh of relief left his body. She gladly handed it over to him, secretly admiring the teen as she bent down, slowly taking in a deep breath of his scent. Tsukune pretended not to notice, if only so his good mood would endure, and proceeded to read over the entire paper.

After nearly three minutes, he nodded to himself with a calm expression, 'None of this is disagreeable, however I may end up out of my element, considering the mentality of some of the students here. Ergo 'Don't lift over ten pounds' is liable to be disregarded.' Keeping those thought to himself, he pulled the black pen free from the top of the clipboard and scribbled out his signature, absentmindedly cursing the silver balled chain that tethered the calligraphy tool to the board, "Thank you, Chikiru-san. May I remove the instruments now, or shall I wait?"

She shook her head, "I've got to be the one to remove them, otherwise any damage to the equipment or harm caused to you will be solely on your hands – policy, you understand."

He nodded, completely comprehending her reason and waited as she drew the curtain closed, then detached all of the monitoring electrodes and sensor pads from his chest and back, as well as the pulse monitor upon his index finger. It was tedious, but he supposed that five minutes of letting this woman clear him of hospital property, whilst also getting her fix of looking at him in a way that seemed borderline between Kurumu and Tamao – Lust and hunger – was bearable and easily beat having to potentially pay for damages to the hospital. Plus, she wasn't radiating the impending feeling of malicious harm, making it all the more bearable.

At long last, he was free to go – if only just. His first act of freedom was to change into what was salvageable of his clothing from a little over a week prior – those that weren't too ruined, or those that the doctors hadn't cut off of him. This was, unfortunately, nothing. With a light irritation visibly showing, he made his way to the dorm rooms in a set of baby blue scrubs that felt and likely were a size too small, however he reigned in his ire and ignored the stares, gossip, and the overall feeling of claustrophobia induced by said clothes.

Barging into his room, Tsukune stopped as the smell of chocolate filled his nostrils with a mollifying velvet scent that literally had his mouth starting to salivate. It wasn't that he hadn't had sweets in quite a while – even though he hadn't, the last being the cookies which Kurumu had cooked for him after their battle – nor was it due to the fact that the hospital food was absolutely horrid.

The smell, for lack of better words, was absolutely intoxicating to him. It held such a sweet air that was palpable to the point it was nearly swimming in the air, and for once, he truly craved the morsels, wherever they may be. Looking around his dorm room, he didn't see anything of note on his extended island/bar, nor was there anything on the coffee table. Following his nose, he soon arrived in his bedroom to find a small plate of cookies, still wafting steam – though clearly not as much as a very fresh batch – and a small card folded before the ornate flower-printed plate.

Curiosity and wariness warded his hand away from the plat for the moment, as he instead picked up the outwardly blank card and flipped it over. Unbeknownst to him, as he read the contents of the 'latter', a smile crept ever so noticeably upon his face, '_Dear, Tsukune-kun! I've been worried about you since you were set within that awful hospital, and still couldn't stop thinking about you today. I decided to bake you these cookies in Home Ec... I hope they're still warm when you get to taste them! Think of me! Always yours ~ Kurumu.'_

Several seconds passed as he re-read the message once, then twice. The feeling that had blossomed within the normally cold carapace that was his heart had him intrigued, though confused. It was easily similar to the warmth he felt towards Moka and Kurumu when he was around them, especially as of last night. However this particular feeling was somewhat less intense, yet oddly more chaotic within his proverbial emotional matrix. Shrugging, he opted to think it over at a later time as he popped one of the cookies gingerly into his mouth and nearly slumped to the ground. Nearly.

The dough itself had a slight, _very_ slight tang of salt to it in addition to the creamy chocolate chips that melted easily in his mouth and ravished his tongue. More-over, he detected a taste that was foreign, yet had the same intricacies as a whole as the chocolate, hidden beneath the other flavors with just enough out to tantalizing his senses. He would later find it out to be a core of white chocolate melted into the dough.

Recovering from the euphoric sensation, the last Aono closed the curtains over his window and stripped himself of his already negligible clothing and examined his chest and what he could see of his back. New scars littered his body, although they were far less noticeable than he had expected; having more of his natural skin-tone as well as not rising as high – nor being as thick – as wounds of that magnitude generally healed to be.

As he eyed the wounds, he felt the all-too-familiar tingling of his eyes before the wounds seared in pain, and for just a moment, he could swear he'd felt them rip open again and begin to seep his life's blood from them. Blinking away the macabre thoughts, as well as his Sharingan, Tsukune gathered a spare school uniform and quickly donned it. 'Odd, I'll refrain from doing any such thing until such a time that I've nothing to do... This is worrisome.'

It didn't take him long to get his shoes back on and grab a small snack in the form of a celery stick to tide him over, and then hit the dusty trail that led to the Academy. The path was completely scarce of people, and for once, Tsukune felt somewhat exposed without other people walking, giving him yet another way to blend in and hide from any potential pursuers. He couldn't place exactly why such a thing bothered him now, when normally he'd care little about such things.

'Perhaps', he mulled in his mind, 'I've become paranoid after this recent attack. Probable, though unlikely. Hn...' As he continued down the path, casting a glance over his shoulder every few steps he took. The odd inkling that he got of malice and hunger – like that of the eyes that plagued him up until a week prior, the week of clubs and the mermaid incident.

So caught up in his paranoia was he that he didn't quite catch the fact that he began to take a divergent trail – an oft used, but thinner trail that was nestled oppressively between a massive grave-yard, or at least a patch of ground littered in ten times the Academy ground's normal amount. In contrast, the trees that clumped together around the paths seemed to thin, and one could easily see the gated in Track and sports field sitting before the gymnasium.

Seeing as it was the last class of the day, and even then, nearing the final ten minutes in said class, there was nary a soul putting the faux grass field to use and thus no one to correct the teen as he passed it by, managing to make his way back onto the covered walkway. He blinked, nonplussed for but a second before his mind rendered his self-composed mental map of the grounds, and his expression set into a blank stare once more, 'Now, to successfully reach Nekonome-sensei...'

As he passed through the small gap between the two metal covers, his eyes caught sight of something that shouldn't have been there: obscuring a small portion of the wall - in a nook where the two-story high main building of the gym met the one-story changing rooms and storage closets that protruded in a three-sided arch around the otherwise square building- was an irregular form that, when he flashed his Sharingan, was afire in a dim, gray energy and twitched horribly in the decreased viewing speed. Narrowing his eyes ever so slightly, Tsukune frowned and silently strode closer, curious as to the suspicious activities this obviously organic being was indulging in.

He crept up to the side of the mortar and stone building, noting the muted sounds of light whimpering, and whispering. 'Odd,' he thought to himself, brows knitting in suspicion as he knelt down just enough to gather his strength and pushed a negligible amount of youki into his muscles, allowing him to easily land on the outcropping's roof. His landing made little noise, and had the form of the obvious male crouched before him the capability to hear such a sound, he was far too distracted for such a delicate task.

Ignoring the biting pain that ignited in his pelvis and hip from the exertion, he strode slowly behind the other person, intent on seeing exactly what had caught his attention. The teen was of average build, Tsukune noted, though he had broader shoulders than most, indicating a potential higher upper-body strength – although, considering one's 'Human form' was an elaborate illusion for the most part- it was merely speculation. The iconic green blazer hung slack against his crouched form, and a swathe of messy black hair that sat atop his crown almost like a mane finalized all the preliminary details he could gather about the teen, himself.

Strafing a bit, Tsukune suddenly stopped as he noticed the thick windows that sat diagonally against the crevice between the two buildings, and more importantly, the image he could see through it. Though it was glared slightly from his position, he could easily make out the numerous girls walking to and fro within the room – only, this wasn't any ordinary room. Silver metal lockers lined the far wall, and a few rows lined up in perpendicular rows to the back row could be seen, separated by several white-wood changing benches.

Amongst all of these aesthetics stand many, many girls. Girls in various states of dress – or undress, as it were; some ruffling their physical education shirts – a white, form-fitting piece of cloth that was stitched with blue around the hem and collar, along with having their name written on it in the center. Others still walked about in a numerous collection of undergarments – Sports Bras and panties, all the way up to lacy bustier and thongs - as they changed, all slowly returning to their proper school attire.

His chocolate eyes narrowed even more after seeing this. It was one thing to admire the female form, to admire them in however you desired in a public setting – and more so – in private, although the former _was_ a bit tasteless if overdone. It was, however, an entirely different thing to ogle women – or anyone, for that matter – whilst they perceived themselves to be safe, in an environment that held at bay the ogling eyes of most.

Just as Tsukune was about to speak to the other teen, a snicker escaped him, "Oh yeah, shoe me what you're workin' with!" Immediately after that, a mechanical whirring emitted from the crouched black-haired teen, followed by another. 'Pictures? Pathetic waste of space...' Tsukune thought to himself, a sneer of disgust upturning on his lips, and it turned to rage when another sight caught his peripheral, returning his gaze to the window.

Standing in a pair of white panties with a bit of intricate frill along the elastic band, and a matching bra that barely held her generous assets within them, was Kurumu Korono, resident Succubus and Tsukune's newest friend. To the far edge of his vision – from what he could see through the window – was Moka Akashiya meekly holding a conversation with the cerulean haired seductress as she finished ruffling her skirt and went on to button up her dress shirt, obscuring the black bra with pink bat stitching across the cups, already mildly obscured by her rosary.

Another mechanical whirring brought Tsukune out of his reverie and he quickly suppressed the crimson blush that had tinted his cheeks, schooling the rest of his features behind that of a narrow-eyed thin-lipped mask. Placing a hand on the peeper's shoulder he squeezed, hard, "Such a shame that you're fool-hearty enough to spy on the unwary, yet can't grouse enough will – or perhaps moral, something it seems you're lacking in as well – to work your way up to such a privilege."

The teen stiffened for a moment before he began to turn, chuckling nervously. His free hand made it up to the back of his head and scratched, ruffling his unkempt black hair, "It's not a lack of morals, it's just far more fun, y'know?"

He opened his eyes, and Tsukune could immediately see the anxiety that was pooled within him. In addition to that, he could also see the mischievous glint prevalent beneath that anxiety, 'He's planning something. Be on guard.' Tsukune allowed a smirk to pull at his lips and rebutted the teen, eying the strange almost-pink headband that held his wild hair out of his face, "Fun, indeed? Let us see how fun it truly is, then!"

As he shifted his weight slightly, the other teen made his move hastily, and attempted to sweep the smirking brunette's feet out from under him. This was easily enough jumped over, and was countered with a sharp shove accompanied by additional force from his knee which barely connected. The Sharingan host knew that he could easily hurt the other male who seemed more of a push-over than someone who'd rather fight, however that would be a waste of energy. Instead, his dual 'nudge' did exactly what he'd planned, and knocked the peeping tom onto the thick glass with an audible 'thunk'.

His smirk turned into a mild grin, and his eyes -though narrowed – crinkled into a mischievous glower, inspiring a truly disturbing image, "Enjoy the repercussions, fool." Without waiting any longer than to see the confused, and then horrified look on the dark claret eyed teen's face, he hopped off of the protruding building annex and began to speed-walk for a small distance around the gym, and managed to get onto the branching sidewalk that led to the Art Hall Annex within a few dozen seconds, 'Distance should be decent enough to help obfuscate any involvement I may be portrayed into having had...'

"And now," Tsukune murmured to himself, an undertone of amusement washing over his monotone, "for the fireworks." Dozens of girls, most dressed, but some still covering their forms in towels of varying color and design, barged out of the gymnasium's double doors and spread out, yelling angry obscenities.

"I see him, that peeping bastard is running into the woods!" He heard a shrill yell call from the mob of walking estrogen, and within moments they were all off! The brunette boy momentarily toyed with the thought of joining them in their holy crusade, if only for the pure amusement of seeing just how long it took them to realize a man was running alongside them. He shook the thought off, considering the danger to his person too great when factoring in the semi-nude women hiding behind a mere towel, and their unholy wrath. Still, he couldn't stop the wry smile that crawled onto his lips, "Better luck next time, fool."

As he turned to walk off, he heard another dozen yells, the most colorful of which was, "I'm gonna cut off your nads and shove 'em down your throat! Come back here, you prick-headed fuck tard!" Blinking, and at a loss for words, Tsukune merely walked off almost feeling sorry for the poor bastard. Almost.

Some time later, he estimated it to be about twenty minutes, Tsukune finally stood on the third floor of Youkai Academy's main building. Unlike the rest of the school, this floor's architecture was somewhat different – specifically the build of the office before him – as instead of the light woods, ceramic tiles, stainless steel metals and the such that made up the materials used in the first two stories. This one seemed to have been made of stone and mortar, and had a deep oppressive feeling to them that seemed to visibly darken the stone.

He sighed and walked up to the door, "Must I always deal with these theatrics?" Despite his aloof, somewhat annoyed statement, it couldn't be argued that somewhere in his chest he felt the smallest twinge of trepidation as he passed the threshold. As he grabbed the brass knob and pushed the door open, the distinct smell of some kind of incense and a slight undertone of old books invaded his nostrils.

The brunette schoolboy looked around the office, and noted that it was just the front – that there was another doorway, oddly shadowed perfectly so as to disguise it from prying eyes – of the office, likely used for reception. The walls were set in a deep crimson with paneling of mahogany on both the bottom and the top, and every fifteen feet had a thick, cylindrical column of the same wood rising from the hardwood floor covered with ornate purple and orange rugs to the ceiling. Both flanking walls from the entrance held a set of bookshelves that spanned the entire height of the room, a grandiose thirty feet – or so it seemed.

Behind the hardwood desk stood the figure that Tsukune had come to see. His mystical white priest cowl shadowed his face in almost the same way that the second doorway was shrouded, and yet two dim luminescent orbs smoldered in the shadow of his face playing the part of his eyes. Flashing his Sharingan for just a moment, Tsukune nearly froze upon seeing purple criss-crossing lines and odd symbols shimmering in an almost neon brilliance across the room, not to mention the massive black and white – but not gray – puddle of energy that was the Headmaster's signature, as according to his crimson eyes.

"**Ah, you've arrived.**" The sentence was one of pleasant approval, yet the unnatural baritone in his voice would have sent shivers down the back of a lesser man. As it was, Tsukune had to physically suppress them as he felt the sensation of eyes upon him, yet he couldn't quite tell if the Headmaster _was_ looking at him. A small grin appeared on the only part of the robe-garbed man's face that wasn't completely shrouded, "**Now, what is it you require, Aono-san?**"

He felt a small tick of irritation prick his mind, 'You know full well why I'm here, standing before you.' Despite his feelings, the teen had garnered the notion that it would be best to simply play along, for now, "Nekonome-Sensie instructed me to appear before you, that you had something you needed to speak to me about."

That damnable grin grew just a few centimeters as the holy-man turned to face Tsukune. It was disturbing to feel his observant gaze taking him in, nearly penetrating his physical being and peering into his metaphysical body – his soul. The nausea from this odd violation, or perhaps ogling of his person, literally churned his stomach. No, not his stomach – it was his psychic bond with the voice! Somehow, one of them had created a one-way bridge to the other and their displeasure was affecting the recipient.

"**So she did."** His terse reply, contradicting the grin on his face, only served to further irritate the teen who nodded tersely back, "Indeed. She did." Suddenly, the smile was gone, and the Headmaster reached into his robes and fished around for a moment. This continued, and continued, and _continued_, until _finally_ he retrieved a folded piece of parchment that was closed with his wax seal – a crucifix over-top a pentagram, **"Adhere to what is within ****–**** it is crucial that you do so. Aono-san.****"**

Blinking at the offered parchment in confusion, he squashed the scoff that wanted to escape and wordlessly took the yellowed paper, slicing the seal in half with a crisp flick of his finger. Within was simply a statement informing him that he was to be placed within the Newspaper Club on account of his inability to enter a proper club in time, and his hospitalized status. He narrowed his eyes in a bored glare, 'I was sent here to obtain something which I already deduced? My time has been wasted, critically so.'

His glare turned to the Headmaster, only to find him strangely absent. He thought better of flashing his Sharingan in an attempt to find his signature – the less people knew, the better – especially those in any position of power. Shaking his head, Tsukune's mouth fell to a thin line as he left the oppressive office, intent on reaching his new club and seeing how this entire farce would work. His only solace, he figured, was the fact that his two friends would be there – ensure that, at least, he wouldn't murder himself out of sheer boredom.

Back in the office, the Headmaster shifted out of his self-contained bubble of magic that blended the light around him, a grin slowly spreading across his mouth, "**You will learn ****–**** in time ****–**** that everything has a purpose, Aono-san.****"**

'Something worrisome surrounds the Headmaster.' Tsukune thought to himself, stuffing his hands in his pockets as his mind ran through a few ideals as to what the man had been searching for. He didn't have any proof, but he was sure the holy-man imitator was seeing into him – as in, looking at some part of him not normally visible. There was no other way that he'd have felt as violated as he did.

It caused a moment of pause as well, 'Does my Sharingan incite a similar feeling in people when I look at them? Hn. At some point, I'll have to test it.' Nodding at this train of thought, he stored it for a later date and exited the stairs, turning left and nearly bumped into a young girl who was running past giggling. He muttered an apology and continued on, not noticing the girl's tilted head, then the frown as she continued on own the stairs.

He was fortunate that he missed the water that appeared out of nowhere and splashed on the empty space three paces back. Casting a queer gaze to the anomaly, he shrugged, "Stranger things have happened, I know it."

How impossibly right and wrong he was, though he didn't know it yet. As it was, Tsukune sighed as he approached the room – English, though the little monster cards holding the class numbers had shifted to state that it was the Newspaper Club. 'Let's get this over with,' the last Aono said to himself as he pushed the door open and immediately, "Tsukune-kun!"

The cry of two excited girls exclaimed and he immediately found himself momentarily shoved into the Succubus'...neck? It seemed that, either she missed, or decided to try a hug that wasn't so sexually charged – perhaps due to their talk the night previous. That train of thought however, was lost when Kurumu was lightly hip-checked out of the way by Moka who hugged him lightly, wary of any wounds he might still have before pulling away with a blush and a smile.

"You got out, Tsukune-kun?" Moka asked, a gentle smile and the receding blush still present. Kurumu finally came back into the picture by way of lightly pulling Tsukune's arm to her side, and as a consequence, mashing her breast against it. He felt that familiar tightness in his chest and abdomen, but calmed himself as Kurumu spoke up with a light glare aimed at the vampire, "Of course he's out! He's too great to be shacked up in some bed, with tubes and," she shuddered, "needles."

Arching an eyebrow, Tsukune asked the obvious, "Aichmophobia?" The blue-haired bombshell turned to him with a lost expression and blinked, "Umm..."

Moka allowed a teasing smile to show as she walked up to her friend and poked her in the temple, "Fear of needles, Kurumu-chan." The Succubus pouted and swatted the hand away, glaring at the vampire whilst holding Tsukune's arm tighter to her, "No, I'm not _scared_ of needles, they just... There's only a _few_ things I am comfortable penetrating my skin,"

Both the brunette and the rosette felt their cheeks heat up at the innuendo, though Tsukune managed to cool himself off quickly. Moka however let out a squeek, "K-Kurumu-chan, don't say things like that! You're insane!" The giggles that then escaped the vampire soon mixed with the Succubus, and Tsukune even felt enamored in the humorous air and eventually let a barely audible set of chuckles loose.

"Alright, settle down now!" Nekonome said, appearing from no-where. Tsukune eyed the door, wondering when the jubilant cat-like woman had snuck her way in. The three-some quickly took their seats in the front row of desks, the two girls knowing roughly what Nekonome was going to see, while Tsukune looked on in false boredom.

The blond woman smiled, her eyes squinted closed as she placed her hands together on the podium before her, "It's my pleasure to welcome you, Aono-san, to the Newspaper Club! I'm glad to see that you went to the Headmaster – I barely caught you in the hall, nya!" She worried her face and then blinked, "Gin-kun should be along any moment now; there was some kind of disturbance over by the gym, so I'm sure he's being himself and sniffing it out!"

'Not likely,' Tsukune thought with a rare smug tone, envisioning the hilarious ways in which the women would likely skin him alive for doing such a pathetic thing. While he didn't have a problem with violence, he would rather not fight as his 'Interceptor Fist' was designed inpart to stop enemy combos and send them back, but more so... It was designed to decimate his foes. Death wasn't an option he eagerly chose to seek, but that most certainly didn't mean he didn't have a sadistic side...

Being trained by Asura Momochi left one with a great desire to inflict pain, if only to spite the damnable man's memory. Luckily, he could reign in his emotions and was likely one of the top ten least impulsive people in Japan, if not possibly the entire Far East, 'Save Buddhist Monks, but I refuse to count them.'

"Today, after Gin-kun arrives, I would like you all to begin to write the paper's supplementary columns," Nekonome mewled as she looked between them all, and then at the brunette teen, "I'm sure you can ask either of these two, or your sempai, if you're confused."

Casting a sideways glance at Moka and Kurumu, Tsukune nodded and the two smiled back at him. It was nice to have friends, he decided after a few moments. He hadn't exactly participated in any 'friendly' activities that he knew of, and wasn't entirely sure just _what_ friends were to do with one another, but... It was still a nice feeling. That didn't mean that he was too eager for more friends; it was still an alien and strange concept, but he'd gotten used to the two beauties that had stuck by him thus far.

"Nya, anyways, I've got to get to a staff meeting; I'm sure the three of you can handle yourselves until Gin arrives." With that said, the ever joyous blonde-haired cat woman lightly skipped out of the classroom, peeking her head back in for just a moment to say, "Ja ne!" With a twitch of her not-ear hair tufts, she was gone and the door closed.

Kurumu groaned, "She's had to go to a 'staff meeting' three times already!" She placed her face within her hands for a moment, before springing back to life and jumped from her desk to jump onto Tsukune's back, her lower body slinking haphazardly onto the desk behind him, "I'm so excited; being in the same club with Moka-chan has been fun, but it's going to get even more enjoyable with you hear, finally!"

Moka nodded, "We've both missed you, and while Gin has been nice to us, it's been... Ano, difficult..." A light smile crept upon her pink lips and with just the tip of her tiny fang peeking out in conjunction with the single stray cowlick, it made for a cute image. Kurumu released him from the backwards hug and moved to stand, as the other two did, "If Gin tries anything now, I know that Tsukune-kun can save me, too~!"

The vampire sighed in a mixture of amusement and annoyance as the busty girl brought up her damsel act, though it had much turned into a satire now, a way to both flirt with him and laugh at their first true meeting. She still hadn't figured her feelings out for Tsukune, but she tried to keep a lid on the ire that popped up whenever Kurumu would flirt with him; she knew she was jealous, but _why_, she simply couldn't figure out – and there were a number of reasons, some of which were shameful to her.

Still, she didn't want to impede the happiness of her first friend and her second best friend, yet she also refused to stand on the way-side and be outdone, ignored, or passed-by. Yet, she also felt that Tsukune held no such feelings for either of them at times – a feeling that send a wave of worry and trepidation through her. She sighed and smiled, thinking of the brunette boy a mere arms-length away,

'I hope... I hope that we'll always...'

Her thoughts were interrupted by the door opening to reveal a fairly tall teen, roughly 5'7'' in height, nearly what Tsukune himself happened to be. His black hair was slicked back, and yet still held a wild sort of look to it, as if he were a beast that roamed the wild and merely _tried_ to civilize himself. The mane of hair was held out of his face with a nearly-pink headband that was cracked on the edge, and sticking randomly out of his hair were bits and pieces of twigs and leaves.

The teen's dark claret eyes held a mischievous glint as he produced two bouquets of flowers, one a set of roses and the other, a mixture of butter-cups and daisies whom he presented to Moka and Kurumu with a flirtatious grin, respectively. Moka smiled gently and made a show of sniffing the flowers, then set them on her desk with nary another thought, clearly used to this routine – and annoyed with it, if the slightest narrowing of her eyes and the downturn of the corners of her lips were interpreted correctly.

Kurumu on the other hand nervously accepted the flowers and tried her best to be cool and cordial about it, but the look of lust the teen had beset upon her was causing her to feel flustered and lose her focus. She fiddled with the flowers for a moment, before taking a deep breath and looked over at Tsukune. The moment she saw the one she'd proclaimed to be her Destined One, all nervousness stripped away and she smiled contentedly, "Thanks, but no thanks, Gin-san... I only need my Destined One!"

As she gently set the roses back down, the teen shrugged, "Ah, well, at least I still have you two beauties in my club!" Suddenly noticing the new arrival, having ignored the big-titted girl's mentioning of him, Gin set about examining him with a critical eye and a friendly smile. He walked up to him and nodded his head whilst sticking his hand out, "Welcome to the Newspaper Club, I'm your club president, Morioka Ginei."

Visible surprise struck Tsukune for just a moment, "M-Morioka?" The surprise was palpable and struck him like a bolt of lightning raining down with unerring accuracy. How long had it been since he'd heard that name, six years? Long had he wondered about the policeman that had offered him solace and some form of closure on that chapter of his life; the one who'd assisted and was perhaps single handedly responsible for he and his mother's freedom.

Many thoughts ran through his head, some positive; the others a blend of neutral and negative. It took the normally quick-witted and analytical teen several moments to compose himself. The change was instant as the expressionless and jaded dull stare overtook the intelligent and surprised glimmer, and his mouth that had nearly been agape settled into a thin frown. Taking the other teen's hand, he shook it firmly, and noted the strength with which Gin squeezed his own, "Aono Tsukune."

With the terse introductions done, Gin let his eyes linger on Tsukune for a moment longer before the edge of his lip curved upwards. Casting his eyes onto the other two members, he nodded silently to himself and walked over to the podium-like desk, spying a few leaflets of paper, "Okay guys, today, we're going to be doing a few things: we need to write the columns for the paper to go along with our Front Page News, we need to research and gather information on the front page - which you've all chosen to go after the 'Rabid Peeper', and finally... We need to finish placing up the advertisement posters around the school."

Moka stepped up, an idea clearly on the forefront of her mind and the tip of her tongue, "Then we should start on the columns; they're the most time-consuming and we don't have any leads on the peeper, yet." The innocent vampire blinked her large jade eyes, awaiting the club president's ultimate decision, and it was a few seconds of thought before the black haired teen agreed, "Good thinking, Moka-chan. I wonder though, will we ever catch that bastard?"

Kurumu glanced to Moka, a distressed frown present for a moment as she remembered the large war-band that had erupted after gym had ended. She and Moka hadn't joined in, figuring that the peeper, as in all other cases, had vanished before he could be caught – and to their knowledge, he had.

Tsukune, on the other hand, sent a scathing glare Gin's direction, feeling his hand tighten into a fist and his youki flare within his body almost involuntarily. So, he was pretending to be innocent, going so far as to bring it up to speak ill of it. A decent tactic, he figured to himself, and dually-so as his less-than-decent interests lie with either of the two girls. 'Enjoy yourself whilst you can, but the moment you step out of line... I intend to set upon you the wrath of every woman in this school,' with a grim grin barely visible, Tsukune went along with the others, preparing to write the columns.

The first order of business was easily finished – pushing four desks into a makeshift table, and the second followed shortly; looking over newspapers from years past to figure out ideas for what to write in the column articles. After a minute, Kurumu looked up to Gin, "Can we write anything down, or is there a particular set of things we can talk about?"

Gin shook his head, losing his 'boyfriend grin' for the moment and adopting a more serious air, "Well, there's not a _specific_ rule about what you can write, but it should be relevant to the events happening in, or around, the Academy." He noted the slightly crestfallen look on the blue haired girl's face and quickly backtracked, suddenly worried about ruining his chances with the girl, "Although! Although, if you tell me what you were hoping to do, I could see about letting it be published."

She immediately perked up some, her violet orbs holding a bold hope for the idea that swam about in her mind. Kurumu was no fool; she knew that there were a great many things that she wasn't great at – okay, even good at – but the also knew that she, as a Succubus, was naturally decent at the lowest of times when it came to giving love advice. Cooking was an avenue that she enjoyed, but it was really Tsukune's encouragement and praise over her cookies the time she'd made them that had her wanting to try getting them out to the public. She wasted no time in informing him, "I was actually hoping to do an occasional piece for recipes, along with a love-advice column!"

Hearing the busty girl's plans really surprised the elder teen who made a show of thinking about it, his eyes cast up to the ceiling as he hummed in thought. After several long seconds in which Kurumu and her two friends looked on in a mix of curiosity and hope – from Moka – and an intense demanding glare – from Tsukune, Gin finally plastered on his flirtatious grin, "Normally, I would have to run this by Nekonome-sensie, but for a gorgeous thing like you, of course!"

Seeing the happiness that sprung to life on the girl's face was the only thing holding back Tsukune's scoff. Crossing his arms over his chest, he chose to, instead, stare out of the window. It seemed as though his emotions were beginning to get the better of him today, and this only added to his ire and annoyance – much of it he had managed to still keep hidden by mere luck, it seemed.

This guy – Ginei Morioka – may be connected to Iori Morioka, but he certainly didn't _act_ like the man, from what he could see. Momentarily, he wondered about his relation to the human officer – was he a brother, cousin, what? Speaking of, was Iori a monster as well? He certainly shared the same last name as Gin here, but that could easily be passed off as a coincidence, too. Shaking his head, he turned back to the group to see Moka calmly looking through one of last year's papers, meanwhile Kurumu had her focus almost entirely on the lined paper, writing something up - likely a draft of her column, if he were to guess.

He noticed her taking a peek at him, smiling before she went back to work, 'I wonder just what goes on in her mind.' It was an odd thought, he decided right after he thought it, but he couldn't say that he wasn't truly curious. As much as he figured he was an enigma to his two friends, they were the same to him, though Moka was a bit more readable than she on account of him having both known her longer and been closer to her. The succubus on the other hand, he didn't know much about her, and as such he found it difficult to get a bead on her, beyond the fact that she was – or at least believed herself to be – in love with him.

That was also another odd thing that confused him, but such things were for another time. He noticed Gin's stare locked directly on him and he instantly knew that Gin had something planned, something that _wasn't_ for the good of him. Glancing at his two friends, he was aware that both were deep in their work - the rosette more than the bluenette, who would stop occasionally to mumble something, or cast an eye at him – ensuring that if he kept it short, he could easily flash his Sharingan and entrap the other male in a minor illusion.

Crushing that thought underfoot, Tsukune blinked his chocolate eyes, 'This is most unsettling; I cannot hold my frustrations in, _and_ I keep wanting to use my Sharingan... Something is awry.'

Letting out a breath, he pulled a piece of paper from the center stack and then grabbed one of the papers that Moka wasn't leafing through. He wasn't entirely sure just _what_ he'd like to add to the paper in the form of a column article, but he figured this would give him inspiration.

Time ticked by, and soon an hour had passed. Moka had begun to write on her own draft paper, long abandoning the articles, and Kurumu sported a bright smile as she finished up her first page. The brunette teen known as Tsukune however, was on the sixth paper from the previous year, simply finding what was written to be a uninteresting topic for he, himself to write about.

Setting the paper down finally, Tsukune sighed as he righted himself from his slouched position. Kurumu turned to him, "You alright, Tsukune-kun?" She then looked to the table and pursed her lips, "You haven't written anything... No inspiration?"

He silently nodded his head, glaring at the papers scathingly. "No... Nothing here seems to incite a spark of any kind. My lack of social skills seems to inhibit this, as I cannot give advice for said situations," he offered one failed idea he had, and ran his fingers through his hair. Some of his ideas seemed too violent for the paper, and a few were mere speculations that needed further research before he was confident enough to place them in the publication. It was frustrating!

The cerulean beauty gazed at her Destined One with a fleck of sadness in her eyes that soon shifted to a determination as a light smile upturned her lips. She scooted closer to him, leaning over to look at his paper which was blank save for small dots where he'd tapped the end of his pen in an effort to bolster his thoughts, 'Hmm... He's a smart guy, so I know he's been thinking of a lot of ideas...'

Looking at him confirmed her thoughts; the knitted brows, narrowed eyes that were partially glazed over, and the pen between his index and middle-fingers flipping to and fro were the most obvious ticks displaying how deep in thought he was. A softer smile spread across her lips before she reigned in her focus, 'Think, Kurumu, Think! Help your Destined One!'

Casting her violet eyes around the room in an attempt to figure something out ended abruptly when her eyes had Gin in their sights, 'Maybe... It couldn't hurt, either way.' Tapping Tsukune on the shoulder, she lowered her voice some, deliberately trying not to stutter as she flustered from the intense look in the brunette's eyes, "What about an article to help girls avoid peepers and unwanted perverts?"

Immediately he stopped, the pen suddenly becoming statuesque and his breathing stopped for the most ephemeral of moments. 'So simple... How did she think of it?' Tsukune wondered quickly, then admonished himself for such a foolish inquiry, 'Kurumu is a woman, so one would be led to believe she'd know.' Shaking his head, Tsukune offered the girl a small smile of appreciation before it dropped back into a passive line, "Thank you, Kurumu."

Being given his thanks, Kurumu beamed and hugged Tsukune's arm, feeling her heart flutter within her chest, "Anytime, Tsukune-kun! I'm glad to help!"

Immediately, the Sharingan host began to formulate a plan and no sooner started executing it, putting pen to paper and drawing the rough outline of what he wished to say out. He missed the semi-playful glares that passed between the two girls, nor the immolating scowl that Ginei had to swallow before anyone noticed.

At the two hour mark, Gin clapped his hands, startling the other members who had been relatively quite as they flew into their work. Three sets of heads swiveled to their elder, whilst one simultaneously finished shrieking from the shock, "What the hell is the big idea, Gin!?"

He chuckled and waved Kurumu's ire away with a light wave and a dazzling smile, "I didn't mean to scare you all. It's been two hours, so club activities are _officially_ over. If you care to, you may stay and finish or hang out."

Moka yawned and stretched, then cast her attention to her brunette friend who was staring silently up at Gin with an unreadable expression. "Tsukune-kun?" She called, inciting his attention and receiving an inquiring eyebrow, "Yes Moka?" Glancing to the side, she spied the clock out of her peripheral, "Are you going to go right now?"

Taking a moment to consider it, he nodded his head, "I think I might; I've got a few things on my mind and an equal amount I need to check-up on. Yourself?"

She pressed her lips together and poked her fingers together beneath the table. On one hand, yes, she did want to stay and finish her article. She'd managed to finish her rough draft and was half-way through her final copy that was to be printed directly on the school's first paper this year. On the other though, she wanted to spend time with Tsukune; sure, she and Kurumu both had spent countless hours into the night by his bedside, but they weren't truly 'together', and she missed him – interacting with him.

At long last, after glancing down at her paper, she nodded, "Yeah, I think I'll come with you! I-if that's fine with you, that is..." She had begun strong, but her sureness folded when she realized that he might just want to be alone while he attended to whatever business he felt heeded his attention. Much to her relief, he welcomed her to go with him by way of a grunt of assent.

"You're not going to take Tsukune-kun off to the side without me there! Who knows what you'll do to him, vampire girl!" The Succubus growled, her voice sporting an indignant whine to it that made her expression of determination and jealousy in the form of a blush all the more endearing. Tsukune frowned, 'This is getting out of control... Why are these thoughts invading my mind?'

Ever since the girls had left the night previous, after the progress that had been made between them and the closest thing to a heart-to-heart that had been had between the two, his mind had unhinged some and he felt his inhibitions and mental blocks shift... Almost like they'd been weakened, but upon checking he found them to be as strong as ever. It seemed that the effects of this _shift_ in his blocks was having repercussions far sooner than he'd anticipated, and it set him on edge.

"Less than what you'll _try_ to do to him," Moka snarked back, a rare almost-smirk appearing on the sweet and innocent Outer persona's lips. In private, the pair had become quite friendly, not that they weren't in public, but it had allowed Moka to get somewhat comfortable with jibbing the Succubus at times. It was a confidence booster to be sure, but nothing like having Tsukune back in action and by her – their- side.

Kurumu fumed for just a moment as the atmosphere charged with a phantom electricity between the pair. Finally, the busty seductress grinned and grabbed onto Tsukune's arm, "C'mon, Tsukune-kun, let's go somewhere Moka can't find us..." She knew that it was a gamble, doing this, but she meant it in all fun – for the most part. She only hoped he didn't clam up and/or take it negatively as he seemed prone to doing at times.

Moka instantly grabbed Tsukune's other arm, defiantly glaring at her friend, "Let go of Tsukune, he's not yours, and he certainly doesn't need to go with you!"

The mirth that shined in her jade eyes contrasted the fang-baring frown that was sported by the vampire girl. At long last, Tsukune cleared his throat and eyed both members of the opposite sex, "Alternatively, we can all go to the _same _place and talk, or...hang out, as it were." The matter-of-fact way he voiced it somehow had the sting of a teasing jibe even in his dull monotone. He didn't wait for their reactions as he stood and walked off, knowing full well that he was going to be followed.

...But not by the girls.

On his way back to the dorms, Tsukune closed his eyes and let his raging and restless youki have some leeway, forcibly activating his Sharingan beneath his lids. He sighed, feeling as if the stress in his body was finally free with this expenditure of excess energy. His eyes ached, as did the rest of his body, but thankfully it was now the kind of satisfying ache one got after a hard workout, rather than the searing branding-iron pain that it had been.

His thoughts shifted to the two girls after a couple of seconds of reveling in his relief. He wasn't sure what to make of the actions in the Newspaper Club; on one hand, he was annoyed that no-one seemed to be able to keep solid grip of themselves and their agreement to keep the flirtatious and innuendo comments to a low as he acclimated. Moka's actions in retaliation were certainly a surprise to him, taking him by a complete blind-side.

On the other hand, however, Tsukune was very flattered that such genuine and beautiful girls had such a vested interest in him, which made it far more... intense, hence his hesitation and confusion. None had ever shown such an interest in him without an ulterior motive being involved – their interest in him being some means to an end they hoped to achieve. Selfish greed and arrogance taught him to never trust and never allow people to get close many, many times in school by way of these 'friends', and 'girlfriends', of which all of them proclaimed themselves as such – he never appointed them; never asked or really wanted them.

Frustration bubbled up from the depths of his mind, the acidic burn of this emotion almost tangible. These conflicting emotions – these warring thoughts that fought in his heart and mind, they were grating on his _nerves!_ He bit his lower lip, narrowing his crimson eyes as the tomoe whirled about the central pupil in a furious rage, 'Moka, Kurumu, why do the two of you have to be so... _goddamned_ perfect? I am quite unsure what to do; how to _deal_ with this situation. _What_ is even _making_ me fret in this way!?'

By the end of his thoughts, his lip was bleeding somewhat, and his throat was emitting a very low growl. Realizing the possible scene he'd have caused had there been a great deal of students out walking at the time, he took a deep, calming breath and soon became aloof to his surroundings.

'Meditation,' Tsukune immediately thought to himself as he moved to leave the beaten path and head into the woods – the site where he'd been spending his night training himself. 'Perhaps meditation will help calm and reset my faculties... Afterall, I went without doing such a thing for eight days. Skimping for longer than my previous length of three days must be taking quite a toll...'

Half-way to the dark, occluding embrace of the dead woods, Tsukune stopped, his head bowed and his muscles slowly tensing as he hid his Sharingan beneath the chocolate guise, "You've been taking great pains to follow me and attempt to hide yourself, Gin."

From one of the nearby desolate shrine-like buildings, the familiar face of Morioka Gin peaked out, a stony expression showing on his face. He said nothing as he approached Tsukune in a wide arc, almost as if he were circling him – sizing him up. The two silently gauged the other, Gin's dark claret eyes dangerously narrowed in a silent fury as they stared at Tsukune's stationary aloof pair, the chocolate irises frozen over and empty.

"Tsukune... Aono...," The silence was finally broken by Gin dragging his name out in disapproval, in disgust and, perhaps, anger. The elder teen finally stopped right before Tsukune, his body half-hunched over, shoulders set high and broadened out as if he were ready to pounce. In return, Tsukune glowered right back, "Creepy Stalker."

Gin's eyes narrowed and his lips curled into a low snarl for just a second before he smirked, arrogance polluting the air in thick waves, "You've got guts... You know that, Aono?" He clasped his right hand into a fist with a widening smirk, an almost wistful look caressing his face. A moment passed and he gave a snicker, "I know it was you that pushed me onto the girl's window, forced me to get chased by all of those sexy girls – all after my skin, and not in the way I would like."

"Do it the right way and _accidents_ are less likely to _happen_," was Tsukune's cool reply, his hollow monotone having a very empty resonance in the evening air. Gin snickered humorlessly, his nose crinkling in a glower as he curled and unfurled his hands, as if testing and readying them for an assault – as if they were claws.

"Heh," Gin chuckled aloud as he slowly glanced up into the sky, "The moon... She sure is beautiful tonight, wouldn't you agree?" Tsukune stared blankly at the teen, his body channeling youki into each muscle, pumping them up more and more. His instincts told him to be on his toes and, as of yet, they hadn't steered him wrong. A stiff wind traveled across the lands of the Academy, an ominous pressure resting upon the cooling breeze.

"You're pretty close to Moka-san and Kurumu-san, aren't you, Tsukune-kun?" Still not looking at the brunette, he addressed him despite the majority of his attention being focused into the sky. The intrigue in his voice was countered with a sense of disgust that welled up within Tsukune's stomach. His teeth grit and the pressure of youki behind his eyes was becoming immense – almost unbearable.

"Irrelevant. What do you want, Gin?" Already, the red tint of his special eyes was beginning to bleed over and create a crimson haze that was cast over his normal vision. The danger -the feeling of a hunter after his prey- permeated the air in a silent threat that left him on edge, and now this fool was bringing the girls into this – whatever this even _was_. It pissed him off; he didn't care to be in this situation with Gin, and yet not only was he here, a feeling of trepidation that slithered down his back and into his stomach told him that this was but the first act in a dangerous play.

"Want?" Gin questioned serenely as the clouds parted, and the moon's pale rays began to bathe the land in their soothing light. The teen's voice took a razor-sharp edge, his tone one of malice accentuated by the slightly deeper rumble beneath his words, "I've been around Akashiya Moka and Korono Kurumu long enough to get a feel for them, and I have to say... I like what I've seen!"

His head snapped down to reveal the teen's claret eyes were now a brilliant gold, a beastly strength gathered within them, just waiting to be unchained. Gin's teeth shown as he snarled, revealing canines that were a bit thicker than a human's – almost like that of a vampire, but they curved backwards and seemed to be blunter. His hair bristled visibly as he growled in two tones; one of a man, and the other of a beast.

Without a warning, Gin lunched himself at the teen who's eyes widened marginally as his elder schoolmate rammed a fist into his stomach with a force that was far harder than the mermaid's power tail slams, and Saizou's monstrous fists. Spittle escaped his mouth as his teeth audible clattered together, sending a sharp pain rocketing through his skull as well.

There was never a chance to recover as Gin upper-cutted him with his other hand, sending him a few feet into the air, where he arched at the apex and plummeted to the ground. Tsukune groaned in pain, his surprise still wearing off, when a foot slammed into his ribs and sent him careening across the plain, and into one of the few stumps that littered the area.

Water quickly filled his eyes as a memory assaulted his mind. "_No, get back here, bitch! You're going to sit __–__ I said __**SIT!**_** - **_right here and watch this piece of _shit_ take your punishment!" Isshin yelled, forcing Matsuri to the ground with a rough shove to her shoulder, worsening the healing green bruise that was still visible from an earlier time. The half-japanese man sauntered over to a kneeling child whose eyes steadily streamed two thin rivers of liquid and yet, not a single sound escaped him._

"_You fuckin' faggot ass cunt-spawn, you think that I go to _work_ to feed _your sorry ass_!?" Ishin brought his steel toed work boots to bare, bringing his foot back as he looked on with his one good eye, a sadistic hatred for the boy churning within them. His foot made contact with the boy's back, sending him stiffly down to his side. The audible crunch of bone being impacted was proof enough that it hurt like a bitch, but despite the rigid poise he took, not a sound escaped the boy, yet._

_Matsuri screamed as he went to take another kick at the boy, grabbing Isshin by his waist and attempted to haul him down, "No, stop it you bastard! He's just a child __–__ he didn't know any better, stop it; stop hurting Tsuki-kun!" The dark blonde abuser hissed a curse and elbowed Matsuri in the face, eliciting a cry from her along with the blood that now gushed from her now slightly crooked nose. Throwing a hateful glare her way, he made his way over to Tsukune, a gleam in his eyes as he took out his pocket knife from the far-too-baggy jeans he wore, "We're going to play a game; if you scream, I'll cut you __–__ if you don't, I'll stab that little _bitch_, how'sat, huh!?"_

The memory began to blur an distort, but Tsukune could still feel the phantom pains as Ishin began to kick him in the side – the birth of his unique torture method. His teeth gnashed together, his arm digging deep into the dirt as he remembered it – his first failure. Matsuri would never be able to properly have children due to his stupidity – his stubbornness and desire to not show pain before that bastard. All at once, he remembered something that, perhaps he had forgot – or perhaps he had set back in his mind and deemed it unimportant after some time.

'I will not allow myself to cause trouble for another, even if it means my pride – a selfless act is better than a selfish one.' Sure, it wasn't the most inspirational thing to remember, but at that moment, he knew exactly what he had to do and it was thanks, abstractly, to this regained memory.

Pushing himself up, Tsukune barely rolled out of the way of another one of Gin's kicks. He took a moment to wipe the beginning of the tears that formed away and forced the butterflies in his stomach that had escaped with the memories – it would only serve to stunt his effectiveness in a fight.

"So much for the bad-ass that beat Saizou, and the one who fought every mermaid to a stand-still," the taunt escaped the teen's mouth as it was fixed into a sneer. Gin began to chuckle before it became a full-blown laugh, "I knew it! I knew it the whole time – you didn't defeat _anyone_!"

Chocolate eyes flicked around as they took in everything, analyzing the situation, half-assed ignoring what the crazed pervert was blathering about, 'Increased aggression, likely due to monster transformation. Golden irises, reminiscent of a canine or feline species, though I could be wrong; possible werewolf, were-panther, or yoko. Additional symptoms appeared nearest to when moonlight became prevalent, exchanged words until then – stalling for time, most probable scenario. Analysis; Were-beast, wolf with an eighty-percent certainty, panther with twenty.'

"-defeated _all_ your enemies for you, didn't they?" His eyes narrowed as he finished his long winded speech, a wide, mocking grin set upon his 'charming' face. He expected Tsukune to deny it, or perhaps for the brunette do his usual song and dance, from what he'd garnered from the girls -soon to be his prize- from their idle conversations. Instead, Tsukune laughed with his eyes downcast, the sound chilling to the bones in his body, "Of course, they fought all my battles for me – I'm simply incapable of fighting battles against such odds, I mean look at me... I'm thin, frail, _slow_."

'_There_,' Tsukune noted that his plan had worked. The suspected werewolf's eyes gained a look of hunger – an instinctual flicker that now viewed Tsukune as the weakest of the 'pack', as it were. Gin's lips parted as a feral grin took the place of his mocking smile, "Finally telling the truth. Now I'm sure...-"

Gin's body tensed, his muscles bulging beneath his school uniform in an inhuman manner; it looked as if a mass of tentacles, or snakes were slithering beneath his skin, coiling and balling up randomly. His arms became bulkier and then slimmed down as the sound of bones creaking and joints popping with a sickening wetness heralded the lengthening of his arms and fingers, thick claws now tipping each finger that used to be a mere nail.

His shirt and blazer then tore as he hunched over, placing both transformed hands onto the ground. A this was happening, his hind legs began to deviate and bulk up whilst narrowing slightly in the pelvic region with a gruesome squelch. Simultaneously, a tail, covered in sparse black and gray fur grew from his back-bone, somehow sticking out of his pants that had managed to more-or-less survive the transformation.

Standing back up on two legs, the perverted club president's head finally swiveling back towards the brunette. His face had changed with the rest of him; in place of the handsome pretty-boy face that the elder teen seemed to pride himself in, there was now a long snout with jaws agape slightly, displaying the rows of sharp teeth. His black nose sniffed the air, and a sadistic, _hungry_ grin pulled at his jowls, "- t**hat I can get you outta the picture, then... Moka-san will be MINE!**"

No hint of movement came, and before he even realized it, claws were dug into his chest as his vision warbled, then moments later he found himself crumpled into a pile next to a boulder that lay in the plains, his back aching from hitting the rock hard enough that it cracked. The wind shifted, and Gin was right there, picking him up by the front of his shirt and tossing him into the air, only to be sliced across his back by the humanoid canine and sent flying down into the earth.

Hissing silently to himself, Tsukune could only think about his words. 'Moka, yours? I think not; you'll have to kill me before you put your paws on _either of my friends!'_ The fury and sheer determination that bubbled up with his metal declaration, caused him to snap and instantly, his crimson gaze of despair became aglow in the darkened landscape. The world slowed down as his tomoe sped up in their orbit and for the first time, he could see truly how fast Ginei Morioka was.

The werewolf came speeding through the clearing, having made a sharp u-turn upon landing after sending the weakling to the ground. His vision blurred at the edges, he had borderline tunnel-vision whilst speeding around in this form – just one of the few weaknesses his kind had – but he'd long since learned to use his other senses to compensate. Rounding on the punk, he readied his claws for another swipe to the chest.

Crimson eyes watched as Gin sped through the clearing, the true paramount of his speed showing through as even under a time-dilation of twenty-four, the lycanthrope was moving at the speed of a normal person's run – faster than anything he'd seen move before. Despite this revelation, Tsukune still had enough time to release that pint up youki, activating _flash-point_ to get out of the way in an instant. He skidding in a one-eighty to face his opponent who glared at the rock and then to his prey, feeling the throbbing pain of his claws being fractured, "**How the hell did you manage that!?**"

Resting his crimson gaze on the wolf, he chuckled, "How indeed; after-all... I'm slow, right? I can't fight my _own_ battles – that's just inconceivable!" Bristling at the insult, Gin rushed over to his enemy and snapped his jaws closed over the teen's neck, a sudden gasp escaping the boy as the sensation of his teeth piercing the flesh sent a satisfied shiver down the wolf's spine. Then, nothing – no Aono, no flesh, no taste of blood or meat.

Nonplussed, Ginei looked around until he caught sight of Tsukune standing on the rock, an empty expression upon his face while tose crimson eyes – those eery crimson eyes – stared at him. Gin's breath hitched for a moment, 'No! He couldn't possibly be... A vampire?! No, no! It's just not possible.'

He toyed with the possibility that the brunette brat _was_ a true, real vampire... If that were true, then there was a chance that he wasn't going to come out the victor – a small chance, but it still existed. There wasn't silver hair, so he wasn't a Super-Vampire – one of the _those_ elite vampires. Just a stray – an outcast; a wanderer.

Looking closer, his tail straightened in concentration as his ears fell to rest lightly on his head. Crimson eyes, yes, but... He didn't have the iconic slits of a vampire; he instead had some weird... ring, or something. It looked to be separate objects at times, but he couldn't tell... It was as if they were _orbiting_ his pupil, which was smaller than normal. Odd, once again.

"**Why ain't you fighting me in your true form, huh? Too afraid to reveal yourself, or... are you a **_**border-being**_**, Tsukune-kuuun?**" The menacing insult would certainly make any vampire bristle with rage and attack him, so when Tsukune merely raised a brow, the edges of his mouth turning down just a fraction, he realized that the chances of this boy being a blood-sucker were slim-to-none.

Across the battle-field, Tsukune eyed the wolf warily, unsure as to what the beast was asking him. Deciding it would serve no end to ask, he stored it away to question the girls about it at some point. Gin rampaged towards him in force after it was apparent Tsukune wasn't going to respond. Once more, Tsukune dodged out of the way using his _flash-point, _meanwhile Gin sliced through the Tsukune he saw, only for the ragged teen to fade out of view.

'_**What? Again? Fuck!**_' Gin cursed in thought, twisting his body around only to be nailed in the face with a powerful knee, followed up by a downward elbow. Despite the power behind the strikes, Gin barely budged due to his stocky figure and the natural grace being a werewolf bestowed upon him. In turn, he grinned and grabbed the real Tsukune by the neck, squeezing him tightly, his golden eyes filled with a hatred for the teen, and a delight in seeing him struggle.

The brunette's face began to turn an unhealthy puce color after a moment due to his lack of oxygen, and the feeling of all his ribs beginning to buckle in on themselves was difficult to ignore, however he managed, This concentration, though, caused his Sharingan to fade back behind his chocolate eyes, a fact that Gin also notice, "**Once I get you outta the way, Moka-san will be free to accept my love, and maybe I can even get a little something from that big-boobed chick. I would say, 'Sorry it had to come to this', but... I'm not!"**

Feeling his vision beginning to fail him as his peripherals began to gray out in tunnel-vision due to the lack of oxygen and blood-flow, Tsukune felt the sting of disappointment nip at him, as well as a deep-seated scathing frost at the thought of failing to protect his friends. 'If only... I... Were stronger...' he wheezed out mentally, feeling the wolf's grip around his neck begin to grow tighter.

'_Power you will have, soon, boy... Do not give into the embrace; your mates are in battle with the lycanthrope._ _Awaken, boy!' _Tsukune's eyes struggled to pull themselves apart, and he was soon aware that he felt cold, and his chest hurt and burned with an empty flame. It took him nary a moment to deduce what was wrong: he had no air in his lungs at all. Forcing himself to inhale, he fought through the tearing and ripping sensation that he knew not the cause, but speculated that his ribs had all fractured – if not snapped. It was nearly as painful as having to set his arm, but he had more experience with rubs – Ishin made sure of that.

Finally, his eyes peeled open, though his sight was still horribly blurred due to the mucus membrane that had formed during his..., 'How long was I out?' He was suddenly aware that the sounds of battle could be heard around him. Foot-falls and the beating of stealthy wings in the air, an inaudible muffled yell here and there. A tremor through the earth. 'What the hell is going on!?'

Blinking his burning eyes but finding that it wasn't helping, he finally reached up and peeled the goo out of his eye, and after a few blinks to moisten his eyes, he could see; he could see Moka running away from Gin, her shirt torn in places and clear scuff marks and friction burn on her legs and arms. Her hair was everywhere – not in the silky pink strands that it usually was.

She squealed in fear as Gin appeared before her, his arm going to swipe for her when she mustered up her courage and strength and shoved him. The Werewolf wasn't quite as surprised as Tsukune was, meaning he'd had this happen before and managed to stop himself short of colliding with another boulder on the sparse grassy knoll. Overhead, a flash of blue descended and swiped at Gin, making contact with him, if his howl of obvious pain was true in any sense.

Spinning around, he jumped and kicked Kurumu out of the air, sending her to ground, where she bounced one or two times before becoming prone for a second. She groaned and picked herself up soon enough, sporting a dark purple patch in the hair above her forehead, an obvious sign of her blood mixing with her beautiful locks. As she stood up, he could see a grim anger seething in her violet orbs from his side-long position.

The seductress took flight again, and the brunette teen noticed that she had three bloody claw marks across her stomach. His nerves ignited with fire as he remembered Ishin stabbing his mother in the stomach when he wouldn't cry for him, forever rendering her uterus barren. 'No... Kurumu-chan... You piece of _shit!_' Tsukune roared within his mind, unaware that his sharingan had flared into being. He looked around, seeing Moka flying through the air towards his position.

A grim smile forced its way onto the teen's face as he pumped youki into his legs and jumped the fifteen feet to intercept the bubble-gum haired vampire. He roped an arm around her, seeing her half-conscious eyes shift to his and the equally haunted fury he saw in Kurumu's eyes drain from the vampire's to be replaced by shock, hope, and then joy moments before she blacked out.

"_You killed Tsukune-kun! __**Die!**_" Kurumu's hoarse voice screeched out, pained and anguished with the thought of her Destined One's 'death' fresh on her mind. Her nine-inch long magenta claws swatted at the wolf who chuckled as he dodged to the side and made to tear at her with his own set of modified nails. The succubus panted, blood absorbing into her cream sweater-vest and forming a rusty puddle, not to mention the bruises and scratches on her legs.

'We're incapable of beating him – I refuse to use Kurumu as bait; she's endangered her own life well enough already. Rest is needed. Moonlight has become stronger, possibility of increase in Lycanthrope's powers – seventy-five. No weapons to speak of, rudimentary weapons inept against strong skeletal structure. Allies in reserve – none..' He analyzed the situation with a grim frown, knowing that the longer he took, the more of a chance that Kurumu would be hurt and/or killed.

Turning his head to Moka, he grit his teeth, 'If she hadn't passed out – No, if I hadn't taken so long to awaken – the three of us would have been able to provide a stronger assault.' His eyes trailed along the innocent beauty's body, noting all the bruises and cuts that she had gained. Finally, his eyes landed on her breasts – or rather, what lay nestled between them.

His eyes narrowed, 'Current survival chance – twenty percent. I'd rather not unleash an unknown element, however... If there is a chance it might save Kurumu and Moka, there truly is no decision.' With his mind made up, he reached down and grasped the rosary, feeling the heat of the energy within – the energy he was about to unleash. No sooner did he pull the rosary from the chain when he was blown away as the massive explosion of malevolent energy spread out and encapsulated the entire realm.

In the sky above, the white glow of the full moon bled over into a crimson color, it's own magenta rays now lighting the land beneath as Moka Akashiya's prone form lifted up like a body possessed. Over the course of a few seconds, he hair drained of color from the roots to the tips, becoming a royal silver. Her fangs, cute and tiny, enlarged to the point that they actually stuck over her bottom lips regardless.

Finally, her eyes snapped open revealing those terrifying bloody orbs with the iconic reptilian slit pupil that seemed to rip into the soul of anyone they were staring at, and right now, that was Tsukune. Her aristocratic face contorted in anger, "You insignificant morsel, you _dare_ look upon me after what _you_ did to _me!_?"

In a moment she was upon him, her leg raised to roundhouse him in the side of the head. He quickly released what little youki he had the spare moment to store and pushed himself out of the deadly organic weapon. Activating his Sharingan, he dodged another roundhouse, "Save this grudge for a different time, vampire; the three of us are in trouble!"

There wasn't even a pause as Inner Moka launched another fist at him, piercing through his illusion, finding the satisfaction she felt suddenly drain away to frustration, "I can survive any threat which comes for me. I care not for you _boy_, nor the sleazy rodent – other than to obtain my retribution!"

She smirked and kicked an empty spot, and heard the sound of snapping bones and the unmistakable sound of a wheezing groan. She looked further than her leg to see Tsukune clutching his chest, blood trailing out of his mouth and one crimson _freak_ eye staring at her in...betrayal. Her lips upturned slightly, amused, "You _dared_ speak to me out of turn."

Approaching him with her hips lightly sashaying as she walked, she let out a throaty chuckle, "You _dared_ to interfere with my justice against the succubus – who my host has been forced to co-exist with by _you_." Bringing a powerful foot down, she slammed him through the tree stump he had landed against, and several feet further back, likely skinning his back from the friction.

Her crimson eyes danced with a dark glee as she watched him squirm in pain, as he experienced in physical pain what she had been forced to endure in humiliation. Speaking of, she narrowed her eyes, those frightening crimson orbs seeming to glow ever bright, "You, an unsightly, lowly _beast_ dared to _order_ _me_ to place my rosary back on – to rid me of my freedom!"

Bringing an almighty fist down onto his head covered said hand with blood which elicited a grin as she used her foot to roll him over, seeing his prone, and broken form below her was satisfying in it's own right, but.. Her eyes widened to a large degree as a cold fury ignited within her, her fangs seeming to extend even further than they had been, "Worst of all, you filthy cur, is that you _succeeded_!"

Inner Moka rested her loathing crimson gaze upon the broken teen beneath her foot, contemplating squishing him like a bug. Even as she mulled such a tempting thought over, the pressure she put on his stomach continued to increase and her smile widened as he squirmed. Kneeling down, putting even more weight on him and causing him to cough a large ball of blood and mucus, she inquired of him, "In which way would you like to die, worm?"

Tsukune's mind was trying to sort his thoughts out, but it was no easy task; between the ringing in his ears, the searing tear within his stomach and in his chest, not to mention to sublimated ribs he was certain he now had, the brunette could hardly articulate a word. He didn't think that Inner Moka – a royal bitch, but some extension of _his _ Moka- would actually attack him, at least not before helping him save Kurumu. He supposed, in hind-sight, he should have been smarter – should have _known better_.

He groaned in pain as she pushed hard with her foot, lightly grinding it into his abdomen, the dark smirk growing with the sounds of his discomfort. A warbled yell that at any other time would have been a cause for alarm – a call for his attention – merely captured a small shred of what remained of his concentration. Blinking through the pain, he saw a fuzzy blue and purple blur crash out of the sky, and a barely perceptible black smudge run towards the 'crash site'.

"The debauched rat will be disposed of soon. A good dead that mindless beast is doing – I'd almost spare him, but he dares to think he can have me." She mirthlessly chuckled, her tone and the look in her eyes promising more pain that would be cast upon the wolf. No, not the wolf – anyone who got in her way. He barely registered her words, but he understood enough to know Kurumu was in dire trouble.

"M-...Moka," Tsukune rasped out, blood dribbling out of his mouth, partially on account of his dislocated jaw. The silver-haired super-vampire tilted her head, like that of a curious cat that had been playing with her meal. The blood-red slitted orbs regarded him as though he were something to be scraped off her shoe, and the irony wasn't all that lost on him. The vampire opened her mouth to taunt him, but his whispered words stopped her, "Mo- Moka-ch... Forgive me..."

Believing to understand the meaning behind his words, she smirked at him, "Omote – the one you speak of – doesn't exist any longer; not as long as I keep the rosary away from the anchor. Your last words are wasted – not unlike your existence..."

Raising her green clothed right arm high above her head until her elbow made a perfect right-angle, she sneered down at the weak, destroyed remnants of the beast that had humiliated her worse than had ever been done. Her fingers presed together and she took great pleasure in the anticipation of his death. That is, until she heard him making a sound not unlike he was gargling. She curiously stared down at him, watching him drown on his own blood – or at least, that's what she assumed was happening.

She was not prepared for a red-tinted bullet of water to rocket out from his mouth and strike her directly in the chest, knocking her back with a pained scream as supernatural red electricity arced off of her body – the purifying nature of the water having an immediate reaction to her. She looked down to see her cleavage becoming darker, as well as her left arm as the lightning arced about, "Y-you... Bastard! I will destroy you... F-For this!"

He groaned, forcing himself to drag his mangled body over to Moka who lay paralyzed, twitching involuntarily as the lightning slowly charred her skin, not unlike a gualded rash. As he made it to her, he grabbed the rosary out of her clenched grip and placed it back on the chain, watching as the evil vampire was once more replaced with the bubbly, sweet and innocent girl who he was proud to call his friend.

Yet, the lightning was still arcing off of her body – not as intense as before, but easily worse for the young girl who didn't have her other persona's pain threshold. Moka cried as her eyes snapped open, feeling the immense pain that wasn't unlike being branded – yet it never went away. She panicked as she turned her head to see the devastated form that Tsukune was in.

"T-Tsukune-Kun! W-What happened to u-us; to you!?" She bit out, her sudden panic over her best friend allowing her to ignore the purifying water. He shook his head, mouthing, 'It's okay, it's okay'. His voice cracked as he tried to speak further, "-ake...bl'd... -ka, drink."

Presenting his arm to her, he watched as she considered it, the hungry look on her face was prominent as she stared at the offered limb. Finally, she grabbed it and pierced her tiny fangs into his wrist. As she drunk, savoring his taste, the lightning slowly receded and her wounds healed; cuts closed rapidly as bruises lost their coloration and visible knots.

Finally, she stopped, looking at him with worry, tears visibly welling up in her beautiful jade eyes. Without another thought she bit deeper, and Tsukune felt another sensation – instead of the sharp pinch and the odd, but relaxing sensation of suction, there was now a burning that roared through his veins. It wasn't very hot, and he would later suppose it was because she did whatever it was she did for only a second, but he found himself regenerating some damage; his jaw resetting and some of the smaller cuts sealing. In addition, he could hardly feel the pain any longer, but it was still there – definitely still there.

"Thank you, Moka-chan. I'll be back – and... I'm sorry." She blinked owlishly, ignoring some of the pain that still plagued her as she looked at her brunette friend's retreating back. 'W-what...happened?'

Tsukune rushed over to where he could faintly remember seeing Kurumu – or what he assumed was her, at any rate – fall. His speed wasn't what it normally was, but he supposed this – in his state – was a hundred times better than what he could have hoped for. "Kurumu! Kurumu, where are you!?" He knew it wasn't ideal to go yelling her name, but he wanted to make sure she was okay... He _needed_ to make sure she was okay.

It took him a few minutes, but he caught the sounds of fighting nearly two-minutes off from his original location. As he rushed through the trees and moved further into the woods, he came to a clearing made by way of the two monsters, both of whom were rushing at each other again, murder in their eyes.

'Kurumu...' Tsukune said her name in his mind, shocked at the state she was in. He was unaware of his Sharingan spinning wildly as he gazed at the two, enraptured in their battle. No, not their battle... He was seeing things – visions, but not... No, these were fragments, scattered images set in motion. He could feel a heart-wrenching pain shatter all feeling in his body, his entire soul numb as his mind vibrated with a mantra of thought – all rebuking the fact – what fact, he knew not.

His grabbed his head suddenly as his eyes seared in their sockets, and his body shivered and shook. He could hardly hold in the sounds that wanted to escape him from this mental/physical anguish, before it suddenly ended. He blinked, and somehow he felt that his eyes were... stronger? Nothing looked different – time hadn't slowed down anymore, nor could he see anything he couldn't before.

Shrugging off the odd feeling, Tsukune jumped right into the middle of the fight, his body moving into the path of a slash that would have taken out the Succubus' eyes. He could hear the sobs of a defeated woman behind him, and it made all the more furious. He didn't wait, nor did he say anything as he launched himself at Gin with renewed vigor, his anger almost corporeal in its intensity.

He focused his youki and fired a volley of water at the werewolf, knocking him off kilter and then rushed him, kneeing the wolf's stomach repeatedly whilst he grabbed the well-muscled arm and pulled it backwards until a sickening, but satisfying pop was heard. The wolf howled as his dislocated arm hung limp at his side.

Kurumu opened her eyes, feeling ragged and empty. She had fought her heart out in an attempt to avenge her beloved Destined One – her beloved Tsukune. The fear and fury that became unbridled within her when she and Moka had went to fetch Tsukune from his dorm after completing an 'urgent task' Gin needed doing, only to see the werewolf choking the life out of him.

Seeing him like that; his body purple from the constriction, foam pouring from his mouth as he tried and failed to gargle out breaths had her heart bleeding. She had ran over to him, tried to perform CPR on him, but his heart had remained motionless in his chest and his lungs remained static.

Gin had then taken the liberty of telling them that, having defeated their Alpha, he was now their Alpha and would claim Moka as his and Kurumu would be at his beck and call. The two girls, both broken hearted and with a fresh need to vent, rushed him. At first he treated it like a game, but soon – soon he began to attack them back, for real... They realized, even with their hatred fueling them, they were no match.

Kurumu had decided that if Tsukune had died, if her Destined One no longer walked the lands that he had once walked with her, then she would join him wherever he may be – but not without taking the horrid beast that had felled him with her!

Yet, as she opened her eyes, she stared in disbelief. 'No... It cannot possibly be... T-Tsukune... Please, in the Great-Lady's name, tell me that is my Tsukune-kun!' Tears of hope began to swell in her violet eyes, even as one was half-swollen shut. She felt the hope invade her heart and once more open it, the fresh wounds easily susceptible to the feeling. As he fought to were-beast, she caught a glimpse of him head on and smiled – no, she beamed, absolutely ecstatic that he was fine. A small laugh escaped her, 'He did tell me he was difficult to kill... Thank the Great-Lady!'

Knowing that he was alive, her body finally registered just how utterly _exhausted_ it was and she collapsed to the ground, a content smile on her lips.

Back between the two fighters, Gin roared as Tsukune grabbed his canine ears and twisted them until he felt the cartilage tear in a series of dry pops. In retaliation, Gin swiped at Tsukune who dodged, only to be body-slammed into the tree nearest him. Gin's hoarse voice growled out, "**I thought I killed you...**"

Tsukune stared at him, his gaze long gone from one of careless indifference. No, he was livid, and it showed. "I got better..." Was the grim reply and the teen went to assault the beast again, only to feel his body give out from under him. Whatever Moka had done to him, it seemed to be wearing off, much to Tsukune's ire and Gin's delight.

Cracking his clawed hands, Gin licked his lips, "**Looks like it was only in remission.**" He raised his hand and reached down, preparing to tear into Tsukune and rend his still-beating heart from his chest. He couldn't have predicted what happened next. As his hand made contact with Tsukune's body, before his claws could ever penetrate him, a luminous glow began to emit from under Tsukune's bloodied rags. As it grew brighter, Gin began to feel his hand burn horribly, and upon looking at it, he took a step back.

His hand was boiled open, the skin looking as though it had been eaten off by acid. Hre glared at the teen who seemed confused and mystified, unsure as to what was happening. The lycanthrope growled lowly, "**Where did you get **_**that!?**_"

Glancing at the club president's hand, and what it had done to him, he allowed a smile of sadistic satisfaction to creep across his visage, "Guy who saved my life... Twice now, I suppose... Iori Morioka!" The look of absolute shock and horror had the Sharingan host chuckling, until darkness claimed him only moments after Gin, himself collapsed.

Amongst the fallen bodies, a shadowed figured pushed forth, his body seeming to materialize out of nothing. His white-clad form and the eery glowing eyes leaving the candidate to be none other than the Headmaster. A truly devilish grin cracked across his lower face, as he looked down to the pale, bloodied face of one Tsukune Aono, "**A little rough around the edges, however... Potential, you have in spades, boy. A little longer, child... A little longer."**

**Good to be done with this chapter! I honestly thought that I was going to take this in a different direction, but when this idea came to me, I reworked all my plans for the immediate chapters, and decided that it made the story more interesting; as opposed to merely following the canon in some farce of the word 'loosely', as I have been. Hopefully you were all taken aback and shocked at the brutality, and if so then I've done my job.**

**As I stated last chapter, I'll post a small section on non-canon monsters and abilities. Note that the jutsu and abilities in the flashback dreams will not be included unless actually used by Tsukune ****–**** or someone else in the present time. As such, here are your first two abilities:**

_Flash-point __–__ Channels a massive ammount of youki into the muscles, and at their limit, the muscles mass will temporarily increase while the rest acts as super-enhanced adrenaline. Race: ?, Rank: Apprentice (A), Spell type: Alteration. Stage 1, Duration __–__ 3 seconds; Stage 2, Duration __–__ 6 seconds; Stage 3, Duration __–__ 10 seconds, Alignment:Nuetral._

_Water bullet __–__ A spell in which air which is inhaled and then pressurized within the lungs while leftover oxygen and condensation in the mouth is condensed into water, then the molecules are multiplied to a specific size and compression, determined by the amount of youki used -which is also determined by the alignment one has to an element. Can fire thrice in succession. Race: Mermaid, Spell type: Combat, Alignment:Elemental._

**If you find yourself disliking this catalogue of abilities now, or later, feel free to tell me so I might remove it; it's there for **_**your**_** benefit ****–**** I have the complete thing here with me at all times.**

**Now, I have some good news; I have finally found a job! It isn't glamorous, but it pays the bills, puts a bit of food on the table, and lets me keep the house, so I'm content. In addition, I may be able to afford another laptop soon-ish, which means updates will be on a more regular -and far quicker- basis.**

**Let me know what you all think of these fight scenes, and how have I portrayed everyone ****–**** is it better than I've done before, and does the dynamic of everyone's steadily shifting relationships click well? Hope to hear from at least half of you all that read this far down. Guten Nacht.**

**P.s. If you got the pie reference, good for you.**


	11. Aftermath

**You know, if you guys keep _this_ up, I might just have to send you all virtual cookies... Because that's not creepy, at all – stranger offering random people that read his work cookies. Van, anyone? At any whore's rate, I welcome you all to the eleventh installment of Aono's Kaleidescope! This is also a cause for some celebration, as this brings us out of the Prologue Arc, and starts us down the semi-canonical content until we completely break away.**

**Now, while this will seem as though a filler chapter, bear in mind that I have quite a few plans that need to be birthed first before they can crawl, walk, run, and ultimately be bitten by a radioactive spider and fight fanfiction boredom. To be completely honest, I tend to hate the term 'filler', as it implies nothing of note happened – no character progress has been made. I'm fairly certain that there will be _no_ typical fillers in my stories – at least this one.**

**With that done. I would like to push a plug in here for my Beta; Kuyou Fox. I would urge you all to at least take a gander at his stories.**

**Onto the Review Replies! **

**Tsukinopen****: While I appreciate your support, this is a decision made entirely on my own conscience. I was fine keeping it here when the AU past and the Sharingan was all that would ****_really_ be in this story. However, with the new direction it is taking, it will have more Naruto-based content – just a tad, but still – which effectively makes it a _true_ crossover. Unless it will inconvenience a bunch of people, it will be changed soon (Likely, this update will accompany its change.)**

**Gaara King of the Sand: **** Oh damn, G-man, that sucks balls. Glad you got it fixed, but still feel for you having to deal with a kaputt computer. Glad you remembered this story, haha! Thank you for your review, and I hope this time your computer remains undisturbed. **

**Wonder:**** I can't remember if I already addressed the issue, but it won't be giving too much away, so I s'pose I could explain; as the Shinobi died out and the way of the ninja faded to the wind, chakra followed suit – becoming extinct. Ergo, the energy available now is youki, though why and how he has it at his disposal is a mystery – for now.**

**Jeanpualreddy93****: Thank you for that spectacular review, Jeanpaul. I hope that the rest of my story has held your interest and that I will hear more from you at some point. **

**SilverFlameHaze****: I welcome thy return, God of None. How did this excursion from the digital web of the world-devouring spider go – well, I trust? I'm glad you find this a satisfactory piece of work, and I am happy to hear that it has helped you regain focus and allow you to put pen to paper, as it were, and continue to produce your own works. I wonder, though, if you managed to decipher my hint as to the other story I mentioned – it ****_was_ a bit ambiguous to one without intimate knowledge... **

**Until next time, Haze, I bid thee adieu.**

**Hypothetical Spiritual Entity:**** I must admit that the action felt a little blocky to me last chapter, however after re-reading it, it seems to flow properly. Sometimes, it sucks being a lazy perfectionist... I keep wanting to write more...and more... and more, then re-write the chapter three-times over, but I just sigh, shake my head and go on to something else. Wow, that was a ****lovely half-rant... Sorry 'bout that.**

**Yes, Gin's victory over Moka was pure dumb luck and, while I'm glad he didn't, I must insult his intelligence a tad for not seeing that he could have just tried again at another full-moon – preferably one which was clear. It's what I would have done, had I been so infatuated as to start a mindless fight. **

**Gin is a very interesting character. He is a bit stained to me, as my first introduction to Rosario + Vampire was Lord of the land of fire's True Monster, so you can see how that could come to be. Yet, from what I've seen in the manga thus far – I'm still only at the visit to the Yuki-Onna village; can't find a site to download manga. Help, anyone? - he is a nice guy, and has an interesting character. **

**I did, and while a great deal parted way for me and seemed to offer me a vivid, if very tepid and false, respect, the rest just got more aggressive – wanted to fight the "cracker that thought he could stand on their territory." I managed to create a small gang – called ourselves the Mafia – protected the meek from the assholes whom we stole money from on the rare occasions that they tried to chest up and fight either my group, or those under our wing. Granted, I will admit to getting my ass handed to me a number of times – and it all ended when I was forced to transfer out. Got sent to compass – my district's equivalent to an alternative school; a step away from juvie I guess. Teachers should have done their jobs and stopped the shit at the source...**

**ArekkusuUchiha: ****Indeed, I did! I intend to turn him into a much more impressive force as the story goes on – that isn't to say he will be above too many enemies' leagues, but a few he will completely murder without breaking a sweat. We will see when it gets to that point. All in all, I'm glad that you've enjoyed this thus far and I can only hope you will continue to enjoy it.**

**Simple fool:**** Thank you, and your wait is over! Nice reference of observation, hahaha! However, I was making a quoted tribute to the movie "Men of Honor."**

**Guest: ****Thank you!**

**Junky:**** Have you been reading this story? Lmao! No, he won't be getting off easy – he won't die, I don't think, but he also won't be getting a slap on the wrist either. **

**Bigreader in the Omniverse:**** Well, that's because the Inner Moka in the manga is a lap-pussy. Sure, she has an inflated sense of self-worth and a killer round-house kick, but she's still just a lap-cat. This Inner Moka... She's how I envision an 'elite vampire' to act and view themselves... **

**Reishin Amara:**** I will eventually revisit her. I'm not sure if she will show up beyond that, but she won't simply be written off, either. **

**KailSakray:**** Like the other-side of the pillow.**

**Tell:**** Well lemme tell you summin'! I apologize, I simply had to do that. Strange that you've heard that before...maybe, just maybe, I have a doppelganger!? Or a quantum twin... Anywhore, as I believe I explained in our PM, I have created my own set of rules as to the was the Rosary will be removed – or rather, I should say an exception. **

**So according to canon, it really can only be released by someone who loved her entirely? Hm... Well, I have yet to get to that point yet, but that is some interesting information. Thanks, Tell.**

**Oh, Heeeell, no! I most certainly did _not_ give him the Mangekyou – not this early, nor with such a _soft_ fight. No, all that happened was Moka injected him with a small bit of her blood – not enough for a vampirification, but enough to heal him. However, it doesn't quite stick due to reasons which will be explained later on. I hate that too, and thus you have nothing to fear from that; in the rare case he gets a notable/permanent power-up from Moka, it will likely be quite a bit later into the story – I'll go as far as to say it may wait to happen until capu2's rough timeline. If it happens at all.**

**Manly Monk: **** I have something to explain, but first let me thank you for your compliment as to my writing abilities that dabble in the brutal and murky, dark depths. This story has caused my writing prowess to evolve more than I thought,, at least I feel it to be true. **

**Now, you said, "I was kind of surprised that she started doing that to Tsukune cause I really didn't see anything that would cause such a strong reaction." I have to dispute this because there is enough reason for her – in her mind – to attack him; she is a _vampire_. A full-blooded vampire, and one of the _Akashiya_, associated with the _Shuzen_. She is royalty, the crème de la cram of vampires – who, on their own, are prideful beings. Anything other than a vampire is to bow to her and part way, and even other vampires are to be subservient to an _Akashiya,_ or_ Shuzen. _ Yet, here is this _boy_ - a lesser beast who wouldn't even serve as a proper meal – not only stopping her from taking her wrath out on a 'haughty, arrogant flying-rat of debauchery', but forced her to _seal herself_ after years of being repressed... Yeah, she's pissed. My point is, _human_ nobles have been known to kill and beat others for their meager amusement, so it begs the question of _does she need a reason_?**

**Well, there are hints dropped here as to how, actually. The full product won't be seen for a little bit of time and last chapter is likely the last time you'll see Inner Moka for a bit. Just warning ya. **

**Kuyou Fox: **** Oh, so you forgot where he got it from, huh? Well, I suppose you have no excuse for your amnesiac antics anymore, d'ya? Hm? You said something...Plushie?**

**Kami no Kitsune – the beast that sleeps 22 hours a day.**

**Nah, you're more like an orange Ferret now, ya lazy fucker. :P**

**In all seriousness though, thank you for your reviews, and thank you more for your help, my friend.**

**Prodigal Priest:**** Indeed, if he were a turtle, he would have not a shell in sight, me thinks. Yes, Kurumu-chan does do good work – 'tis why I love her... Has nothing to do with the fact she's a succubus and helps me dream, nope – not at all. On a completely non-perverse note, I compel you with the power of perversion to look up something completely awe-inspiring: Creative world record – 1000 boobs in russia. Enjoy that shit – my thanks to you for blessing me against the curse of facebook. **

**Hehe...Sploodge-monkey. Moka will need a muzzle and – especially – a choke collar. Hm, foreshadowing? Why, I never!**

**I shall go with meat, father – the pink meat. **

**Ressan:**** Thank you, Ressan. It was a bit rough-going at the end, but I managed to do it – and somehow made it a hit if all of my fans' words are to be believed. Yes, both Gin and Inner Moka will have a bit of trouble joining the group – however I already know what I'm going to do with ****Inner Moka. Gin is still up in the air. My, you're a perceptive person... **

**No, he didn't get the Mangekyou. He got a small fraction of Moka's vampire blood injected into him. Not enough for the apparent Kaio Ken x vampire he gets in the manga/anime, - just enough to heal his wounds enough to survive...until it fails. **

**Melkor44: ****Another day, another dollar, another orgasm had somewhere in the world, and another horrific crime enacted on CSI. Life goes on, I suppose.**

**Thank you, I do try!**

**Bob the Kraken:**** Indeed. Bob, meet Fred – the new chapter. :D**

**Pyromania101:**** You have a lot of vampire hate, my pyro-loving friend. Well-founded hate, for which I hope to extinguish somewhat with this story – once I turn you into a fucking walking pandemic, of course. **

**Very true, very little did happen - and unfortunately, I believe that 'very little' is happening this time in terms of action. Nice terminology, but very accurate – and perhaps a tad foreshadowing, depending on how I pull the coming chapters from my ass and to what extent Tsukune finds himself immersed in their relationship -friend, sibling love, fuck buddies, etc. **

**No, Tsukune isn't at the point of curb-stomping Gin, nor Inner Moka as of yet. The day will come, especially for the latter, but for the time being he is strong for a human – and amongst monsters – however he holds nowhere near the talent, technique, nor strength of a so-called, 'S' class monster. Again, Yet.**

**Liked the water-trick, eh? Yeah, it'll be addressed soon with a full-out explanation. All things come in time, including explanations. I have the next few chapters splitting off a tad from the direction we've been going to point the story to it's first bit of completely non-canonical structure. We gotta lay the foundation before the bridge can be built, after-all. **

**Mikogami... I intend for him to be one of my more complex characters – having tons of agendas; all contradicting and assisting one another at the same time. I hope you enjoy the roller-coaster journey I hope this story turns out to be, hehe.**

**As always, thank you for your review, Pyro.**

**Disclaimer:**** I tapped your mom last night... Oh, yeah – totally did her good. I poked, prodded and pressed all into her throughout the night, leaving marks that she's sure to never forget... Yet, no matter how annoying I was, she refused to give me the $10K to go rob that bastard of the ****rights to Rosario + Vampire, nor take a trip over and bludgeon the logic-less bastard for Naruto's rights. Man, fuck your mother!**

Chapter 11: Aftermath

Solitary confinement.

It was the one solace that had always existed for him. The one way he could shut himself off from the world, and it away from him. It had always been his crutch – the stepping stone when he was knocked down, or when he had exhausted his options and needed to plan. It was an innumerable amount of times that he had to resort back to his confinement, for one reason or another... This need was also his bane; it was his one _true_ weakness in terms of mental preparedness – that and perhaps his lack of trust, or at least it had been...

Yet here he was, dealing with the consequences of his actions – regretting, in some fashion – in allowing himself to actually trust as easily as he had. Perhaps it was he, himself who was at fault, and in such a case he shouldn't feel as he did, logically. Perhaps he wasn't actually at fault, and his feelings could be justified. To him, it mattered not; justified, selfish, foolish... The fact still remained that, under the unique circumstances, he felt as if his trust had truly been broken, to some extent at least.

It had happened over a month ago – nearly six weeks to be exact; he had just been released from the hospital from being in a rather immense fight with the Swim Club, a club – ironically enough – made up of mermaids that tricked swimmers to join in order to feast on them. He had been made to join the Newspaper Club, and not even half a day later, found himself in yet another fight... This one however, was intense – and he truly understood just where he stood in the grand scheme of things.

Without knowing it, he had allowed himself to get complacent and arrogant about his skills. He had defeated a half-breed Orc-like being – Saizou – without too much effort on his part. He beat a mass of Mermaids in their own _element_, and only after the long battle of attrition wearing him down did he meet a stale-mate between the leader of the mermaids – Tamao. He had even managed to enrapture one of the most powerful monsters in the world with his eyes and subdue her into sealing _herself_ back up – Inner Moka.

That last one was where it had truly taken root, he supposed. Because he had managed to cause her to seal herself with but the slightest augments to his naturally hypnotic gaze, the unconscious thought that he could excel at any situation had taken root. Despite all his efforts; in spite of _everything_ he had drilled into himself as a code of life... He had fallen to arrogance.

Morioka Ginei had been the first obstacle in his two-part fall from grace. The lycanthrope had been quick – impossibly so, and had he not managed to evolve his eyes earlier in the year, his decimation would have been quicker and he would likely be six-feet beneath the ground. The fight was etched into his mind with terrifying clarity, held permanently there and gilded in a crimson screen...

Yes, Gin had been his downfall, but the utter destruction of his being, and of his trust, came from another being entirely; Inner Moka. She had a right, he supposed, to be as furious as she was with him; he had damaged her pride and forced her to submit to his will, after-all. Yet, even with that evidence, he thought that the woman would surely assist in staving off his, hers, and Kurumu's destruction before turning on them – 'Enemy of my enemy' and all that.

To his surprise and despair, the silver-haired side of Moka had been solely intent on reaping what had been sewn; in this case, the utter destruction of himself. And she had damn-near succeeded. It was..._incredible_ just how outclassed he was by her; she'd known not to look him directly in the eyes this time, and she clearly had a time-dilation similar to his own eyes as she'd caught him mid _flash-point_, and that had been the end of his ability to fight back.

Nothing had showed him just how impossibly lower he _truly_ was than Moka – Evil, powerful, and haughty Inner Moka, but still Moka – literally beating him into a bloody puddle with little to no exertion on her part. She hadn't even broken a sweat as she kicked him about, taunting him and his inability to fight her. He had been nearly dead – his heart aching as it began to fail when he made one last bid for survival and shot her with water – not knowing that it was a vampire's true weakness...

Despite all she'd done to him, though, he _still_ saved her from being purified painfully, and completely. He had managed to go after Gin, saving Kurumu in the process, but at the end – even after fighting Tsukune twice, Moka and Kurumu – it had ended in a circumstantial draw as Morioka Iori's gift to him from long ago saved him by burning Gin and draining his strength. He still hadn't a clue as to why that was; he hadn't seen the wolf since that day, and to him, it was no skin off his teeth.

Unlike his scare with his emotions when Kurumu had come into the picture, he had distinctly made it a point to _not_ avoid every person that knew him. It had ended with him feeling a great guilt that had ultimately _lead_ him to getting pummeled. Now, he was oddly thankful it happened; it had shown him the error in his ways – shown him his arrogance, and inspired him to once more push himself into bettering himself.

Still, he had an overall negative outlook on the whole situation. It had..._hurt _to be set upon by any incarnation of someone who had managed to become his friend, and even more so when that person would rather _kill you_ than the far larger threat. He supposed that there was some sick irony in all of this; that he'd managed to piss of a vampire enough for them to ignore said larger threat to come after him, a so called, _'lower beast'_.

Yeah... He missed his solitary confinement, but... He'd lasted this long, and he had begun a new ritual – a new alternative to sitting alone in his thoughts, mulling over plans and strategies that would seldom actually get use put to them; training as much as he could. He'd begun to skip school in an effort to keep himself embroiled in his physical efforts. Of course, it was only one or two days every other week, and he ensured to pick up the make-up assignments so as not to let his grades slip, but attendance _did _have an influence on his record.

Tsukune grunted, slamming his blood-stained hands harder into the trunk of the bark-less tree – the dead flora having been one of the more stable specimens nearest his established training grounds. Another splash of blood painted the tree as his – as had been done numerous times to numerous other trees and boulders. He jumped back and rushed at the plant's corpse, slamming his knee into and through the somewhat hollow trunk, using the force to pivot his body in a backwards arm, slamming his elbow into the trunk as well.

He ducked down, sweeping his bare feet against the tree, ignoring his skin being tore from the rock-like texture of his makeshift training post. From his position on the ground, he launched his hand in an upward palm thrust and jumped upwards with a high-knee and flipped backwards after making 'contact' and thrust his right leg out, catching the tree with a solid snap-kick that propelled him further away from the wooden tower.

As he landed in a kneel, he channeled his Youki and spewed forth three bullets of water, one after the other, each cracking the trunk worse than the previous. Finally, Tsukune rushed up towards his 'opponent' and palm-thrusted the weak-spot, shoving his arm through the damaged hole and pulling back in a wide-arc, as if he had hold of some part of the phantom opponent, then brought his left hand up in a mighty uppercut.

He sighed, kneeling down before the tree on his right knee, his arms numb as the crimson liquid that ran beneath his skin leaked freely into the world, trailing red rivers down his arms where they merged with the massive waterfall of lethargically dripping blood, traced of pink-tinted bone exposed through the skin, hiding just beneath the blood's surface.

Nothing had quite been the same for him since that day. Mouth shifting to a tight frown, Tsukune found himself reminiscing about the day he had awoken again – this time nearly two weeks after the incident.

_Chocolate eyes shifted around the stale and sterile white room, noting that none awaited him here as they had previously. 'Perhaps classes are in session,' he told himself, seeing the bright light of the sun shining through the window, obscured by a privacy curtain. His body ached still, it felt like every breath he took was in direct protest to his body. _

_'Possibility of being placed in a medically induced coma for recovery __–__ high, but irrelevant; it is impossible to awaken too soon from such a procedure. That means that my body is damaged severely... How bad, I wonder,' Tsukune proceeded to turn his head and sighed through the pain and disappointment when he noticed the chest-cast he had been placed in. Indeed, that was where most of the pain stemmed from, and judging by the memories he had, it was no surprise __–__ his organs had likely been destroyed... _

"_How... Did I survive, then?" His voice escaped him in an incredulous awe and confusion without him even noticing. The last thing he had expected to receive from the empty room was an answer. However, an answer is _exactly_ what he received. It came in the form of the suddenly apparent form of the Headmaster, his ominous almost Egyptian-priest like robes hanging over his form, and the glimmering bulbs of light that were his eyes._

_He was silent for a moment, that out of place grin slithering across his shadowed face as he unclasped his hands from behind his back. "__**Your survival is due, in part, to my own intervention... Having battled, foolishly, against both a **_**GrayBane werewolf**_**, and a vampire of Miss Akashiya's unique...**_**circumstance**,_** your body began to fail**_."

_The Headmaster approached the bed-ridden teen with a far-off chuckle resonating in his dark voice. His very presence seemed to suffocate him, but not in an oppressive nature... No, it was literally as though he had saturated the air with sand, making it laborious to breathe, "__**I retrieved you, and an...**_**assistant**_** of mine ensured your friends were seen to. After much thought, I took certain**_** liberties**_** on my end and repaired you **__**–**__** for the most part.**__"_

"_What did you do?" Tsukune's flat voice questioned, feeling threatened suddenly as well as a certain level of fear, unsure of exactly what __had been done to him. The chuckle that had escaped the __Headmaster after his last sentence was one of wry irony; he clearly felt that whatever happened was almost comical __–__ that certainly gave the last Aono room to feel anxious._

_A sharp dagger of fear plunged deep within his chest as the silence ticked on, nothing but the medical instruments, his intravenous drip, and both mens' breaths putting any sound into the otherwise silent room. His skin prickled as the hair on the nape of his neck was beginning to stand on end, and in his weak state - medicine and confusion dampening his already weakened emotional bindings - his youki began to react on instinct by charging his damaged muscles full of energy. It was painful, feeling as though his skin and the meat beneath it were but a flimsy balloon filling up with a churning maelstrom. _

_A sharp tearing sound ruptured the terse, silent air that stood between them and was accompanied with a growing splotch of red that began soaking into the blankets and the bed from around Tsukune's right calf. The Headmaster's grin faltered as he shook his head and retrieved a white-gold rosary from inside his robes. Clasping it in his right hand, he began to chant in a tongue unknown to Tsukune and his left hand __–__ which he'd began to gesture vaguely around his form with __–__ turned into a light purple, almost leathery skin with inch-long dagger-like black claws of obsidian._

_Within a few seconds of this sudden odd action starting, the Exorcist-priest used his clawed thumb, index and middle fingers to draw what resembled a diamond in the air before Tsukune. Instantly, he felt his youki calming down and ignoring the panic that had caused it to so easily act against his will. Unfortunately, having his youki dampened so suddenly forced him to feel the full impact of the pain._

_He started to groan a curse aloud, but bit it back before it could come out, and instead opted for a mute grunt. His leg felt as tough he had suffered from a massive-scale paper cut. He could actually _ feel_ the odd and painful sensation of the two thinly separated flaps of skin touching one another, as well as the blood gushing out from deep within. _

_Only momentarily was he pulled from micromanaging the pain so as not to succumb to it by the feel of the Headmaster's hand being placed over his leg, on top of the blankets. The man's mouth murmured something so low that he couldn't make out the words, but he certainly caught the bright blue flash of light followed by the odd and disturbing feeling of a..._cold fizzing, _which soon made his youki quiver before it began to shift on its own and do _something_._

_Casting as much of a questioning glance to the shrouded man as he could, he was soon granted an answer, "__**A seal to focus your energies to the sole purpose of...healing you. It will be quite...**_**uncomfortable**_**, but the results will speak for themselves."**_

_More or less understanding __–__ certainly enough to get the fact that it was with the intention to aid him __–__ Tsukune laid his head back and tried to reign in his emotions once more; it felt uncomfortable being so... So exposed! Not only was he having difficulties dealing and managing his pain thanks to his recent lack of control, but he felt the contant nagging sting in the back of his mind __–__ and in his heart __–__ from what Moka had did to him._

_Gritting is teeth as many thoughts ran amok in his mind, around a circulating memory feed of the silver-haired super vampire destroying him, the brunette boy never noticed his flaring youki fighting against its new bindings. At least, not until the white-clothed man touched his arm, "__**These circumstances are... regrettable, however your ire at this moment will only harm you."**_

_Tsukune wanted to yell at the man, suddenly feeling as though he had slighted him; as if the man had told him that being betrayed by his first -and best- friend wasn't something _worth_ being angry over. Of course, he found this train of thought foolish when he had calmed himself down, though the bitter feeling still existed. Nodding, he murmured a respectful apology that the Headmaster seemed to just wave off._

"_What is it that you did to me?" Finally, he had returned to the question that had interested him the __most. The creepy grin was suddenly back on the priest's mouth, and despite being unable to see his eyes and the emotional tells the lids and brows gave away, he could tell just from the twinkling glow that he was amused __–__ that, or annoyed._

_Again, nothing was said for a few seconds, but this time he could feel those strange glowing orbs staring him down. Never did the feeling leave him, and it seemed that the Headmaster was judging him for some reason or another, planning for something that he would only let on if the boy managed to pass whatever qualifications he had set long before-hand._

_Finally, the robed man gave a dark chuckle, "__**As I said, your body was failing; your heart was beyond a recoverable limit for someone of your...**_**upbringing.**" _Here, another chuckle came forth as the priest looked down onto his torso cast, "__**Cashing in a number of favors that have been **_**owed**_** to me, as well as going out of my own way quite a bit **__**–**__** might I add **__**–**__** I eventually managed to...reconstruct your pulverized body.**__"_

_Tsukune suddenly felt a slight twinge of annoyance, and reiterated one last time as his chocolate orbs narrowed dangerously, and in a polite yet terse voice, asked of the man, "You've merely re-arranged your words... I asked specifically; what did you _do_ to repair, reconstruct, or otherwise rejuvenate my being?"_

"_**Patience child; you are not in a position to demand answers **__**–**__** physically, or metaphorically,**__" The serious tone that had overcome the creepy dark irony that had been in his voice for the entirety of their conversation snapped Tsukune to attention and he gave a respectful nod. He didn't want to be disrespectful to someone who had saved his life, especially not the Headmaster to the school __–__ his last chance to excel in his academics, 'Assuming I can even _survive. _Heh.'_

_Still, the way the priest was wording his answers and avoiding the issue at hand left the brunette teen hungry for answers __–__ especially if it had something to do with his body and held impact over his future, as it certainly seemed was the case. Deciding to give the Headmaster a very, _very_ small amount of respect and..._trust_ for his authoritative position, the apparent ancestor of the far-off Uchiha gave a miniscule nod, "Then when shall you tell me?"_

_A grin once more cracked across the shrouded man's face, "__**That's better **__**–**__** we have an...understanding. I will send for you sometime after you are discharged; we will discuss all this then.**__**"**__ With that said, the man stepped backwards into the shadows and the moment Tsukune blinked, the man was gone __–__ no trace of him having ever been there aside the bloodied spot on the sheets and the cold fizzing feeling of his youki._

_It was then that he realized that, for whatever reason, the medical equipment hadn't registered his severely increased heart rate, nor the fact that he had been in a panic. Chancing a look at the clock on the far wall, his eyes narrowed in suspicion, "I am certain he was here for well over ten minutes..." Taking a breath, he finished his thoughts mentally, 'So why does the clock state that only one minute has passed?'_

Flexing his hands brought forth the pain he knew would send lightning-hot shocks up his arm, but he paid it very little mind to it, nor the somewhat coagulated blood cracking open and sending forth another crimson torrent. The odd numbing pain that he felt his knuckles and forearm pulse with was almost intoxicating as he stared at them; not in a pleasurable sense as a masochist would find. No, this was something that he still registered as pain, but... He felt _stronger _as he felt it – as he _stared_ at the crimson life-blood pooling and then becoming little rivulets that cascaded down onto the ground.

And as he stared at it, the pain began to ebb away and succumb to the entirety of the numbing sensation he felt. Shaking his head whilst tightly squeezing his eyes shut, he managed to re-align his mind to something other than the blood and let out a sigh, 'I'm becoming increasingly worried over this... What defect ails my mentality – that I would be so obsessed as to simply stare at my blood? Psychosis matches, but I hold no other symptoms...'

Standing up from his kneeling position, the teenager wrung his hand and balled it into a fist, taking a deep breathe of the muggy hillside's air. It smelled of the decaying trees, certainly – but the entire academy had that undertone and even then, it was barely noticeable. However, in the hills half-a-mile north of the dorms and a quarter-mile from the cliffs overlooking the blood-red sea, the blue-green grass that formed a blanket across one of the only true meadows on the hilly terrain held the smell of a wild, far-off orchard of sorts – perhaps a vineyard's down-wind scent, not to mention the smell of the sea itself coalescing into a pleasant smell overall. This had quickly made this place a favorable spot to both train, and relax.

Turning his head up, he gazed at the purple skies that managed to still cast as much light as the Human Realm's blue did at five in the afternoon, mid-summer. Speaking of, he had noted that the temperature had yet to truly fluctuate, nor had there been any major changes to the weather – s small sprinkle/shower here and there, but not a true downpour or thunder-storm. Gazing across the horizon with an impassive look, he resolved to figure out the mystery to the strange climate at some point.

A worried look came across, barely noticeable besides the upward knitting of his brow as he cast his brown-eyed gaze once more across the rolling hills and through the dead forests that impeded his vision of both the cliff-side and the dormitories, though the Academy's highest floor could be seen sticking up in the distance. The unease he felt came from a the feeling of deja-vu that had began to send the chilly fingers of suspicion crawling along his spine a few weeks ago.

Despite his attempts to cull out the source of this feeling, but nothing had worked. He had focused his attentions one day on a single direction in an attempt to find anything that was amiss, his eyes looking not for color patterns, but for any sign of movement. Then, he had make a mockery of himself by trying to speak aloud, enticing who or whatever it was out, and that clearly hadn't worked.

Another time had him flashing his Sharingan with half-lidded, downcast eyes in an attempt to hide them as much as possible as he spammed the action across many directions and over the course of several consecutive hours. It hadn't turned up anything except a very dull flicker of white that he had tried to follow up on, but soon dismissed it as a fluke of his imagination.

Something positive _did_ come from his searching attempts though, especially his last attempt; he had actually felt a true drain on his youki reserves – enough that he could finally identify a rough estimate of just how much he had. Activating his Sharingan cost him a small fraction of his energy, but keeping it on had little to no drain, making it more economic for him to keep them active – something he had begun to do as of late, though only for ten minute intervals.

In addition to that - his new-found ability to truly sense his own reserves had allowed him to feel when he had increased them marginally by way of his constant use of the eyes, not to mention his training in which he had begun to make semi-liberal use of his _water bullet_ and his _flash-point_. He had attempted to modify the formation of the water on a whim about a week prior, but it was to no avail – yet, at least; he fully intended to warp the mechanisms of the ability to his will, even if that took some time.

During this past month of focusing almost entirely on his training, especially on account of not wanting to hang around Moka for fear of both what he might be liable to do to her if he became angry during a depressed episode, and for just _what_ she – or at least her other side – had done to him. Because of that, he had also not been around Kurumu much either, something a part of him regretted.

Of course, Kurumu had made it her mission to visit him at least once a week – when she could find him that is. She would usually go for a walk, or a fly in a bid to recon him and then talk with him. Four of the times their conversations remained mostly platonic containing just a splash of her own 'subtle' innuendos mixed in with his wry, some-what suggestive comments on rare occasions.

He still was unsure of what caused him to be so friendly with the succubus, and he knew it wasn't natural as his feelings towards her hadn't changed at all – hadn't suffered any collateral damage with what Moka had done – he really needed to separate the two of them, but it was down-right difficult – which was an oddity to Tsukune. Whenever anyone at his school had pissed him off, or hurt him in some way, rare as those days were, he would treat everyone the same; as though they were a stranger, and would politely cause them to feel as though they were without hope, dispersing them from him.

A small chuckle escaped Tsukune, though it was not one of joy; rather it held a deep collective anger and pain to it, disguised by a twisted mirth, 'To think, I can use my illusions to force emotions and false thoughts into the heads of anyone who gazes into my Sharingan... I can truly understand how my..._ancestors_ managed to be corrupted by it's power; I'm certainly tempted at times, I must admit.'

It was a fact about his illusions; he could place suggestions and thoughts of varying degrees and strengths using his Sharingan, and he could force an order on someone with maintained eye-contact. However, if the order was too much against that person's morals, they could opt to ignore it and would gain a temporary resistance to the eye's hypnotic abilities.

However, his Sharingan seemed to extend beyond just that in terms of mental influence. Something he had occasionally been able to do when he was in school was produce an aura that emanated from what he assumed was his Sharingan when hidden behind his chocolate eyes. This 'aura', for a lack of better words, set in a subtle emotion that any who stumbled into it would begin to feel. It could be cheer, arousal, anger, or his favorite to use, despair.

It seemed that when one became susceptible to even the smallest amounts of despair they lost all will to interact with anything until they could alleviate whatever may be the cause of their dark mood. This, in turn, had the very appreciated effect of people leaving him alone, free to go about his own devices without worrying about bullies, fan-girls, and false friends.

Tsukune sighed once more, noting absently that he seemed to be doing that a lot more often. The cawing of crows in the dead forests was the most prevalent sound at the moment, but the last Aono's eyes narrowed, 'This isn't a communication; either they're hunting, or someone has disturbed them by walking too close or by being too loud.'

Not wasting a moment, he quickly hid in an alcove made within one of the dead trees he'd been training with, waiting for whatever had caused the crows to stir to pass. It took a few second,s but the birds did finally calm their agitated calls, and Tsukune dared to peek his head out, eyes warily scanning his surroundings; he didn't want to be found by anyone, and he would rather _not_ fight another ayashi at the moment; his defeat at Gin and Inner Moka's hands too fresh in his mind, too_ emotional_.

It wasn't quite that he didn't think he would lose – though he admittedly had his confidence shaken and was unsure as to exactly _where _he stood in terms of strength amongst the other ayashi races. The true issue lay in the fact that he wasn't sure if he would have the right mind-set, and on a far darker but less prioritized note, who would be hurt worse at the end – he, himself or the opponent.

Finally, after another minute or two had passed, Tsukune exited his hidden spot and made a quick scan of the area, flashing his crimson eyes during one sweep and found nothing to alert him. Eyes taking up a look of indifference along with his facial mannerisms, he flowed seamlessly into the Interceptor Fist's second of four katas and began to practice the defensive stance's routines against a shadow opponent.

Shifting between catching an invisible fist and twisting it with a push to damage the elbow's socket, and then jamming an elbow in the underarm of the shadow's same arm, Tsukune found himself falling partially into thought as he remembered the first contact he had with Moka, and to a lesser extent, Kurumu the day after he was discharged. Unknowingly, a deep frown marred his visage.

_He had passed the Newspaper Club's room - which was really just Nekonome's normal room transformed marginally to fit with the after-school curriculum __–__ thrice already, a deep gash within his heart burning as he eyed the door on his fourth pass. He wasn't sure if he even wanted to be there, much less if he _should_. Thoughts ran amok in his mind, each calculating odds and percentages, but it wasn't __comforting to him; no amount of sheer data would allow him to relax around Ginei Morioka, and it would take some time to do so around Moka again..._

_'Inner Moka... The next inevitable time we meet, it will likely be the last,' Tsukune thought, a forlorn expression of both sadness and regret etching itself onto his normally emotionless face, fear of what the loss of Inner Moka would do to the bubbly, pink-haired girl who had, up until two weeks ago, been his closest friend. _

_On more than one occasion he had thought about the consequences of Inner Moka's permanent sealing – if such a thing were possible - or her demise; neither prospect was appealing to him, though. He didn't wish for the aristocratic, royal side of his once-best friend to perish, both for fear of hurting the innocent, sentimental side and for his own personal morals... No, she just needed to learn humility and respect._

_How that would be possible though, he knew not. If he tried right now, he would have to kill her to survive, and he wouldn't be too far behind even if he gave it his all. No, he'd wait it out, get stronger, __and challenge the _bitch_ when he was ready, and God forbid that she be somehow released before then. _

_So caught up in his thought was he that he was literally surprised to the point of clinging to the earth on his toes, somehow managing to not utter a single word. The soft hand that rested on his shoulder softly beckoned him to turn, which he did. Before him stood a confused and worried rosette, her green eyes full of concern for her friend as she held her satchel-bag to her chest, "A-are you alright, Tsukune-kun?"_

_His chocolate eyes stared into her own jade, and she misinterpreted the emotions and felt her cheeks heat up. Just as she was about to speak, he finally got the words to form in his mouth. "Moka-san," she flinched at the regression to a formal honorific, as well as his crisp and concise tone, "I am doing fine, thank you. I trust you are well, yourself?"_

_For a second her mouth stayed open, soft tongue lolling about in a lost search for words as her petite fangs barely peaked past her upper lips. Finally, she obtained the words she wanted to say, and with jade eyes alight with shock and fear, she spoke, "T-tsukune-kun, what's wrong? What happened, why are you...calling me Moka-_san_?"_

_She was visibly near tears, her kindhearted nature making her emotions very susceptible to situations. She didn't understand _why_ Tsukune suddenly became cold, acting as though he didn't know her beyond a passing 'hello', acting like he did when they _first_ met. This wasn't like him, not like how he had been acting; he had loosened up and become more outgoing, more sociable at the very least. _

_He didn't take very long to reply, "It is just as well if you cannot remember; I'd rather you not knew of what happened. Suffice it to say, I require time to think about everything."_

_Reluctantly she nodded her understanding, but persisted in trying to question him on what had happened, being incapable of remembering anything but brief flashes after finding him supposedly dead before Gin, "Kurumu-chan said something had happened... She said that she thought I had been __–__ that the _other _me had been released...Please, Tsukune-kun, what happened?"_

_The slightest narrowing of his eyes into a glare made her take a tentative step back as her bottom lip quivered in tear or unspoken words, he wasn't sure. Letting out a soft breath, his uncaring eyes filled with the smallest shred of visible emotion as he looked one at the other side of the girl who had tried to end his life, "She is correct; you did change."_

_Moka gasped and her hand daintily gripped at the rosary dangling down from her neck, but she had no time for words as Tsukune pressed on, "It was my doing that your other side awakened. We were outmatched; you had passed out, I was weak, and Kurumu was getting battered."_

_What little of the soft emotion that was left in his eyes was extinguished like that of a candle in a torrential hurricane as his eyes froze over once more, lips set into a thin, impassive line as he continued, "My intention had been a temporary ally; someone to assist in the battle against Gin. You- I apologize; your _other side _-stated plainly that he could wait and proceeded to enact vengeance for the damage to her pride I inflicted, last we met. Beyond this point is irrelevant, leave it be."_

_Liquid pricked at her edges of her vision, her eyes closing tightly as the thought of _ever_ hurting her friend made her quite literally sick to the stomach. Her legs fell weak and she soon fell to her knees, __"No, No! I didn't __–__ I couldn't hurt you, Tsukune-kun; you're... you're my _first friend_... This-... You must be-... I-... I'm sorry, Tsukune-kun! Please, forgive me!"_

_He stared at the collapsed form of Moka Akashiya, his own first, true friend and felt pity well up in his heart. She sat in the middle of the hall, crying her despair, shock, disbelief and shame out in public; in front of her class and year-mates. Lips twitching into a frown, Tsukune forced himself to commit one last act of kindness for the rosette. He leaned down and helped her stand, embracing her lightly __–__ in __the lightest informal fashion he could and whispered in her ear, __"__Don't cry, Moka-san... Moka-chan; you have Kurumu as a friend, __and I will try to work around what has happened... I just need time to myself. Don't seek me out, Moka."_

_Without another word, the brunette teen about-faced and began to walk off. He had turned the corner and was making his way down the stair-well before Moka finally felt realization come crashing down on her and she quickly ran the opposite direction, deciding to skip the club in lieu of thinking over what happened and calming herself down._

_Meanwhile, Tsukune had just reached the bottom floor and made to walk out of the main building's back entrance when he found his head enveloped in the Succubus' chest, eliciting the ire of most of the male population who had witnessed this lewd act preformed on him by the 'second most beautiful girl' in Youkai Academy._

_A muffled, 'Hummo Kumumu' resonated from between her malleable melons, though it was in such a cold monotone that the succubus quickly cut the hug short to check on her Destined One, concern for his being evident in her amethyst eyes. It helped that she was shorter than him by nearly four inches which allowed her to easily look into his downcast chocolate eyes, baring witness to the cold indifference that resides there._

_She blinked, a cute but worried crease forming on her pert lips,"Tsukune-kun, everything alright?" She took note of the way his eyes shifted just a fraction to the left, a nervous tick he had when he was recalling a memory __–__ she'd learned such from Moka. After a moment, the brunette nodded, not saying a word as he stayed completely stationary._

_Letting out a sigh, she grabbed onto his arm and squeezed it to her in a tight embrace, catching his attention as he glanced at her side-long, curiosity in his eyes, "What are you doing, Kurumu-chan?"_

_A smile spread across her face, almost reaching her purple eyes as she pulled him with her to the side of the hall, and despite the playfulness in her eyes, a more serious train of thought ran deep in her mind, 'Something's wrong with Tsukune-kun; he's acting like he did when we first met... Oh, no...'_

_Once they had reached the side of the school, she turned and stared right into her Mate of Fate's chocolate eyes, momentarily wondering how such sweet eyes could be frozen over with such a miserably careless look to them, as if they could dismiss the Great Lady's love, casting it into the never-more. Finally she spoke, her words chosen as carefully as she could, "Did you meet Moka?"_

_A blink was followed by the slightest shift in his head, making a nod that was almost imperceptible. She let out a slow breath,worry clutching at her breast as she wondered what he had said to her, and how she had taken it. Ignoring that for now, she put more attention towards her love, "She'll be okay, but will you? I don't know what all happened, but... I can guess from what I've pieced together through rumors."_

_His body went rigid for a moment, 'Rumors? There were rumors circulating about what had happened!? Great, the perfect thing to add to this day.' After a short moment, he answered the seductress who had grasped his right hand in her left, "I will survive; neither my dream nor ambition have been realized, and until that day... Hn."_

_Kurumu smiled, though she felt a little put-out that he had given her such a vague answer. At least he was still Tsukune-kun, hurt as he may be. The cerulean haired girl gave a gentle, comforting smile and gazed into his eyes once again as she heard the bell ring. In an instant, she pulled herself to him in a tight embrace, resting her head on his broad chest and let out a sigh, "If you ever need to, you know, talk... You know I'm always here for you, my Destined One."_

_Seeing him nod, along with the tiniest flashes of emotion and a blush on his cheeks, she left him be; knowing instinctively that he needed to be on his own. She entered the school, a triumphant smile on her face though within her mind, she worried over both her love and her friend._

Jumping back three times, dodging invisible strikes from his shadow opponent, the brunette teen stopped himself short of a third and shifted his momentum into an axe-kick that slammed into the ground with a strong, 'thud', the youki enhancing the limb creating a small crater two-time the size of his foot.

From his spot, he fell to his knee and spun in a half-circle whilst whipping his other leg into the air and used the combined momentum to force himself onto his hands, where he proceeded to preform two snap-kicks to cover him as he pushed himself into a back-flip onto his feet once more. His arms immediately braced for an impact that was imagined, but never came and countered immediately.

As he continued his routine, Tsukune felt the odd feeling of strength continue to grow within his chest, as though the more he fought – the more he could _continue_ to fight. It was an odd sensation, but the boy just rolled with it, accepting it as he went with the sole thought of surviving any threat that set itself upon him from this point on, and protecting those that were close to him, without a single doubt or error.

Spinning to avoid the phantom sparring partner's attack, the boy rebounded with a high-knee that combined a lariat. His thoughts shifted to how Kurumu had acted after their parting that day; she had become a bit more... On edge, he supposed. 'Likely,' the Sharingan host analyzed, 'she is torn between having me all to herself with no perceived _'competition'_, and worrying over Moka – as a dear friend, and myself.'

Once he he landed he took in a deep breath and finally lowered himself out of his stance, slowly as if to show he was standing down. Two breaths followed before her brought a hand to his forehead and wiped away the sweat that clung to his brow and slid down his nose. He soon posed himself up next to one of the smaller boulders across the highlands, picking up the water-bottle that he had sat there when he had first came out here.

Enjoying a sip of the once ice-cold drink, he barely noticed the faint hand-print that was shown of the once frosted, now dewy white bottle. He paid it little mind, his fatigued mind shrugging it off as his own and continued to suck down a good quarter of the contents. The sun in the sky wasn't very hot – perhaps a luke-warm seventy-three degrees – yet with all of his training, he felt as though it were over one-hundred.

Taking the bottle and squirting a small bit onto his hair, the brunette finally felt the cooling embrace of the water take hold. Sighing aloud, he spoke to himself, "I'm getting better; closer to where I want to be by this time-frame... I need to be faster; I need to be able to dodge anyone as fast as – including – Moka, with little to no effort. Strength is... adequate, but not ideal."

He glanced at his arms and legs, flexing his muscles beneath his clothing and became momentarily annoyed as the clothes stuck to his body. Shaking his leg, it still didn't come loose causing the teen to curse, "I should find whatever animal this came from and give it to a pin full of rabid five-year old toddlers..."

After a moment he reached down and peeled the clothing free, the feeling of the world closing in on him suddenly evaporating as his mild claustrophobia's trigger had the metaphorical finger removed from it. Once more, his thoughts shifted back to where they were before _that_ irritating episode had occurred, 'Weights would be an ideal addition to my training regimen. I wonder if Asura-sensei still has a few sets? Hn.'

Silence set in over the clearing for the next several minutes as nary a sound aside the wind billowing through the highlands, and an occasional caw from the distant crows was heard. It was quite...relaxing, he finally decided with a subtle nod to himself, taking one last sip of his water. 'However,' Tsukune slowly surveyed the area with an appraising, cool eye, 'It's much too quite – this silence is not natural.'

Considering the fact that the crows were rarely silent, and his acute hearing could vaguely pick up the sounds of other animals rustling through the grass several hundred feet away, this new silence wasn't merely a lull in activity; he would still be able to hear the other creatures that roamed the grassy knolls. Something had caused enough of a disquiet that, while they didn't run away, their self-preservation instincts caused them to simmer down.

Obscuring his chocolate eyes from the world, when his lids opened again, the crimson eyes of his ancestors stood prominent in their place, 'Perhaps I might manage to finally see what it is that seems to be causing this paranoia.' Pushing himself off of his resting place and haphazardly dropping the water-bottle once he'd pushed the top closed, he pumped youki into his muscles and quickly used _flash-point_ to dart towards the woods, and caught a brief white signature that soon faded from view.

'Ah, so I wasn't imagining it. Now, to find what it is...' The young man cast his gaze across the entirety of the landscape while walking towards the location that the signature had disappeared from. After pushing through a few thick bushes and scarring the living shit out of a murder of crows that had been roosting in another, he reached the spot only to find absolutely nothing.

A slight frown marred his face as he looked about, the slightest traces of disappointment visible on his face. There was nothing there that hinted to someone, or something having ever been there. Inhaling deeply, he caught an odd scent; it smelled of nature – of nature in climes different than those that were here; ever-greens and small shrubs that only grew in a different bio-sphere. 'Of course,' he thought with a grim chuckle, the tone of his inner-voice being wry, 'I've no clue _what_ bio-sphere _this_ place would belong to. Blast it all; clue rendered useless on account of ambiguous location of current locales for comparison.'

'Still,' he sniffed, taking in the odd but soothing scent again, 'I will not forget this unique aroma. This skirmish goes to me; the battle and the war however, are still up in the air.' "Hn," Tsukune grunted aloud, a low smirk pricking at the edge of his lips, though it was never realized.

Jumping to the far side of the forest in a burst of youki, the brunette cursed again when the faint shift of white energy faded away yet again. He gripped his hand into a tight fist, both annoyed and oddly intrigued; they had managed to get away _again_, and this time he was prepared, 'You're quite good at being illusive.'

He caught the same signature again nearly five minutes later, only this time it was over where he started, near the exact rock that he'd been leaning against. Darting over to the location, ignoring the painful stress that using _flash-point_ so many times in a row caused, he came to a stop mere inches before the place where his water-bottle lay – no, 'It's been placed back onto the boulder. My query believes themselves quite the stealthy one, and I cannot blame them.'

Looking at his water bottle, the teen wondered just _who_ it was that was jumping around him, causing such confusion amongst himself – leading him about, almost purposely. As he grabbed the bottle and popped the top, he noticed that the bottle felt quite a bit lighter, and sitting beneath where the bottle had been was a block of... something.

Grabbing it, he felt the numbing cold nip at his fingertips, 'Ice. Interesting, so my target is capable of manipulating ice – and in this temperature.' As he glanced back to the ice, he could tell that there had been something written in it, but the heat had melted it too much for him to read it. The only thing he managed to piece out was, 'Close', and 'Interesting.'

Shaking his head ruefully, he now found the entire situation suddenly amusing rather than annoying as he had at first. Tsukune allowed a light chuckle to pass through his lips. However, as he did, it didn't stop – it grew in volume some, until he was truly laughing.

Some moments later, the boy took a deep breath, a ghost of a smile on his lips, though his eyes still remained half-lidded and cool. Within his heart, he felt the numbing pain of the betrayal soften almost imperceptibly – but it did. He wouldn't realize for some time that his sudden, inexplicable burst of humorous joy had been the culprit of his minor stepping stone to recovery.

Even as the ice block melted in his hands, the teen stared at it as though he could see something. His eyes pierced the semi-opaque ice, trying to identify just what it was that lay in the obscured center. It looked as though it were a small diamond pulsing white and baby blue, but the strangest thing was that his own eyes couldn't see it.

Hence why his crimson glare was directed at the thin cylindrical slab of ice as it melted between the combined heat of his body and the temperature. The more it melted, the brighter the diamond within the center glowed, and the faster it shifted it's strobe between the white and blue hues.

After several minutes were spent staring into the ice, ignoring the burning pain as his hand began to succumb to the frozen construct, the light-warbling diamond flashed a brilliant white before it suddenly shot deep into the woods, disappearing with the faintest of white energy signatures. Mere moments afterward, he felt the structure give way, shattering what ice still retained its form, and releasing the melted water from a surprisingly strong stasis field – seeing as how half the 'solid' mass rolled off in melted liquid.

With both signatures gone now, the brunette teen felt the inclination of his gut tell him that, while it was over for today, this odd 'game' would likely continue in the future. A small smirk tugged the corner of his lips, 'You'll be figured out in time; I have moire than enough patience... Unfortunately, you've seen my training methods, as well.'

"I'll have to crank up my self-security, and keep surveillance around my grounds; Intents of unknown entity have yet to be established, assumed passive-aggressive hostile until further information is available," Tsukune muttered to himself, turning around to sit back on the rock. He'd definitely have to be more careful; if someone was _that_ stealthy, it boded unwell for him – especially if there were more, far stealthier beings around.

Suddenly feeling very paranoid, the brunette scanned his surroundings once more, ready for a fight. Sensing nothing did little to comfort him, as he barely caught the quick, white energy source. Deciding to post-pone his combat training, the teen quickly lowered himself into a push-up position, supporting himself on the spread finger-tips of both his hand's fingers.

As the hours ticked by, and his exercises went from ten-fingered push-up to crunches; from running 50 laps as fast as he naturally could around the clearing to performing squat-thrusts; speed-climbing one of the several dead trees in the nearby forest to balancing during meditation, something he wasn't the _greatest_ at yet, and was even further down in Asura's opinion – Sadistic task-master, that man.

The brunette teen had just found the sturdiest branch on one of the corpse trees, a satisfied nod and a look of finality on his features, 'Yes, this should hold me... Far better than _they_ did.' At this, he chanced a glance behind him, where several trees in a rough zigzag pattern seemed to be missing most of their limbs. Eyebrow twitching in irritation at the recent let-downs, Tsukune shook the thought away and proceeded to hang himself...from his feet.

He had just gotten done with his third inverted crunch when he noticed an odd looking bat fly into his range of sight. Paying the odd oblong creature little to no mind, the teen made another repetition before he was alerted to the thing's proximity by a light screech. Blinking an impassive stare at the winged rodent, it seemed to copy him; gaining an equally blank stare and blinked twice right back, then uttered another screech.

A single eyebrow arched as he continued to stare at the hovering light-brown bat with his bored stare. Finally he let out a sigh, "What?" His voice was clipped, terse and held a dull sense of irritation to it that he couldn't keep out. The bat screeched again, and then made a chirp as it flew in a circle twice, stopping to stare at him once more.

"What do you want, strange bat?" His voice held more irritation and sense of curiosity, the words being drawn out some despite himself and his attempts to keep moderately polite at all times. The bat's eyes narrowed into an angry glower, or so it seemed from Tsukune's point of view. Then, without warning, the bat tried to tackle him, managing only to impact the teen and fall a few feet in a dazed tail-spin. Regaining stability, the bat flew back into it's previous position and seemed to take great pleasure in vehemently..._screeching_ possible obscenities.

Soon, the bat had become quiet and silence stood between the two of them as they stared at one another, mano y bate as if they were prepared to swing at one-another. Finally, the bat seemed to sigh, a weird mushroom-like cloud popping out of it's orifice before _disappearing_. 'What...in the hell am I doing? I'm conversing with a bat! A bat that, by the looks of it, is tired of mushrooms... Why me?' The wry sarcasm at the end of his incredulous-turned-annoyed thoughts could be felt for a mere instance as he wondered why these strange things seemed to happen to him.

Then, out of the blue, the bat which incited such a reaction from the brunette produced a sealed letter; the envelope being made of the old papyrus-like material that he had seen littering the Headmaster's reception desk. Eying the presented message with a look of wariness, he reached out and took it from the beady-eyed, oval shaped bat that then flew off, a low screech that sounded almost like, 'Chuu!' seemingly having come from it.

Eying the weird bat with a small amount of disdain, his last thought on the little creature was, 'That thing had better not speak actual words to me – at _any_ point in my natural life.' A feeling of unease blew in the wind, and he could swear he felt the unmistakable thump of the voice laughing at him, as if it knew something he didn't.

Shrugging off the foreboding feeling, he reached down and tore his finger through the wax seal sporting a signet ring's imprint of the character's for Mikogami, and Youkai Gakuen. Around the border lay a witch-craft pentagram, almost like the ones he had seen lining the walls in the headmaster's office with his Sharingan eyes.

As the envelope opened, he could feel a strange energy pass through him. Curious, and more than a little suspicious and paranoid as to what was happening, he pushed youki into his eyes to bring forth his Sharingan, only to see that a runic-like seal on the envelope seemed to be _scanning_ him. Finding this odd, he resigned to asking the man about it himself at some point, but for now he simply pulled the parchment from the envelope and immediately dropped it as it caught fire.

Glaring at the letter, almost expecting it to do the same, Tsukune soon determined that it didn't have the same mechanism – though _why_ one would want to burn the envelope and not the _letter_ was far, far beyond him – and proceeded to see exactly what had been written to him.

'_Aono-san, it has come to my attention that you've been missing quite the amount of class in comparison to your immaculate attendance record thus far. A shame. I trust that there is some reason for this behavior of yours? Think on this, for I will be questioning you on it._

_Now then, to the business end of this letter. I require to speak to you about your continued education here within my school. Report to my office, _immediately._ We shall speak soon, Aono-san._

_Mikogami, Headmaster of Youkai Gakuen, premier boarding school for human societal integration.'_

The brunette teen eyed the paper, 'Straight to the point, respectable. Well then, let's go see what the headmaster wishes to speak to me about.' After packing his things in a small carrying bag, he turned himself towards the Academy and took off at a decent pace, not feeling the situation was urgent enough to warrant any uses of his _flash-point_.

He passed through several patches of forest and dry, cracked ground covered in sparse, almost sickly tufts of grass on his way; the less lively the earth became seemed to signify his increasing proximity to the ayashi education center. Voices began to grow louder in his ears as he grew ever closer to the school, but one in particular caught his ear like a bear would catch a salmon.

Stopping short, he hopped into one of the nearby trees and knelt down, bowing his head a little to hear better. It was obviously two females talking, their pitches and tones easily identifying them as such, but one was quite distraught over something, and the other – she didn't sound too familiar.

Moments of listening allowed him to garner a few lines of their conversation, and from the sounds of it, a young woman had just been assaulted physically by a tentacle of some sort out behind the academy. She had gotten away, but minus a skirt and with _very_ prominent bruises adorning her form. Tsukune grimaced as he continued to listen on to the two girls talk, but the details were still the same as the calmer girl tried to ease the horror and fear that the panicking one was suffering from.

As he decided that he would get nothing more, he readied himself to jump to a branch further along the way. As he took to the air, gliding somewhat between the two gaps, he noticed just who the two girls were, 'Tobisu-san, hn? What could have shaken _her _up... Note: look into rumors of odd tentacle attacking unwary.'

Landing on the targeted limb, he continued to jump from branch to branch over-top of the many dirt pathways leading to and from the campus of Youkai Academy, no-one the wiser. He was about to simply jump onto the roof and walk into the access point, but a flash of pink hair caused him to reconsider the idea as his eyes narrowed, the pain welling up once more. Taking a calming breath, he landed rather gracefully and managed to gain only a few odd looks from the action before he trekked into the school.

'I know that _she_ didn't do it, but...,' the brunette tried to reason through his thoughts and his feelings of betrayal, 'why, then, do I feel as though she was the one to betray me – to attack me with the sole instinct and desire of killing me?' His answer came from a source that hadn't really made itself known for nearly six weeks, the voice of the Sharingan's Keeper.

_'Because, boy,_' the voice began, it's mono-gendered and monotonous tone accompanying a swell of a cold emotion that gripped at his chest – fear, he realized and immediately figured that the voice was giving him a revelation and wanted him to remember it, '_the vampire child may have two heads, but are they not of the same coin __–__ as your most modern rendition of the expression goes.'_

He took a small bit of his concentration from the mental link between himself and the voice so he could properly navigate the school's maze of halls, but soon replied, 'So I subconsciously meld the actions of the inner with that of the outer, considering them the same?' The voice's equivalent of a nod followed as the voice gained a slightly masculine tone, '_Indeed, Aono. It is because they _are_ the same person in body __–__ but not mind __–__ that you place blame on both of them.'_

Turning a corner as he passed a few students, including a solemn and reclusive alabaster-skinned girl who spared him a side-long glance, he asked the next thing on his mind, 'What way is there for me to remove this association; I'd like to be able to be around her without constantly feeling the sting of betrayal...'

A familiar rush of energy that felt regretful, but signified the voice's disappointed shrug, was felt, _'There is little you may do, child. We would suggest action __–__ either pushing beyond the scope of your pain and enduring being around her to speak about what happened, or retribution; repaying the one whom dealt you the betrayal.'_

The first part sounded like the original monotone voice, but the second suggestion had gained a bit of a gravelly, almost angry feel to it. He blinked, unfamiliar with the latest rendition it had 'spoke' in, but put it behind him to focus on the words it had spoken, 'Betray Moka-sa-...Chan? I doubt that would make me feel any relief, if I could even do such a thing. Merely entertaining the thought leaves me sickened.'

The deep male voice spoke up this time, commanding his attention, _'We do not suggest you betray that one; fight her __–__ the other side, the one whom has hurt you... Thrust upon her the pain doubled in her face what she has caused with a dagger to the back.'_

Such words caused the boy to actually stop in the middle of the hall, causing odd glances to be sent his way as he stared at nothing across the hall-way. 'Would such a thing work? I have my doubts about my ability to fight her as I am, though I plan to be strong enough to match her evenly before the next time she is released,' Tsukune said with conviction in his tone, determination burning in his breast.

A chuckled set of 'thumps' followed this before a forceful feeling was upon him. This new sensation was clearly encouragement, but he could also feel the sharp stings of despair prickling at the edge of his mind, '_We agree with this course of action. A prideful being such as she will be cowed by power beyond her own, and will grudgingly respect that which is equal. Be wary though, for just as respect may emerge, so too shall desperation and fear of no longer being the most powerful_. _It will logically take more than one time to fully forestall any future betrayals by the other.'_

Leaving his connection for just a second, he was momentarily annoyed to find himself standing stationary in the hall, fellow year-mates and school-mates gazing at him with concern, some of them talking to him. His only saving grace was the time-dilation effect talking with the voice put him in. Doing a quick equation, he figured out that he'd been standing here for a little over ten seconds.

As he took a step, he chuckled mirthlessly as everyone took a single step back, their eyes widened in surprise at being startled, 'Hn... It's quite hilarious how _human-like_ all of these ayashi are already. Aside odd cultures and a bizarre acceptance of violence, they _are_ human – just more diverse. Heh.'

Taking the last staircase up, the brunette returned for one last exchange with the voices in his head, wryly smirking at such a notion, _'_I am in need of strength, is there anything which you might... advise of me?' He didn't know whether a voice – even one that had watched the wielders of the Eyes of Despair over the many lifetimes – would have any words of wisdom on such a subject, but he figured that he had no-one else to really ask, so it couldn't hurt.

For a few moments, there was nothing in the form of a reply. However, at last a feeling began to form, clutching at his heart with it's acid-like claws as a feeling of both pride and melancholy seemed to wash over his psyche, _'Training has been the pinnacle of those wishing for strength, but... It is a _limited_ avenue for some, and dangerous one for the rest. However, those that We have seen make it through have become far stronger than any assistance We could hope to offer...'_

Nodding in understanding, Tsukune still felt a pang of disappointment within, despite his expectations. He had hope that, somehow, the long-lived entity would have had some advice. He was about to speak up, thanking the voice, when it responded. It's voice this time though... it was harsh, wizened, and somewhat jaded though it held no gender-specific pitch to it, '_There is but one way that we know of, however you are not yet ready to know of it; you will seek it out with prejudice... And in doing so, damn yourself beyond the darkness. No, you needn't know yet, but one day... One day, We will tell you.'_

Feeling somewhat insulted, the teen tried to shrug it off and continue on without any worries. However, the way the voice had said that he'd just search for it and damn himself – how? How would he damn himself; if he knew, then maybe he could _not_ travel down that path. Letting out a sigh, he knocked on the familiar dark door and was soon granted entrance.

Entering the darkened room afforded Tsukune another chance to flash his Sharingan eyes and see that the strange hidden doorway was still there, as were the runic pentagrams drawn onto the walls. However, he also noticed a new spell-circle glowing a soft hue of vermillion that held in it's center the headmaster's reception desk, as well as the man, himself.

Speaking of the man, he was staring at Tsukune in silence, curiosity in his glowing orbs – though how he could discern that from the lack of any true eyes that he could see, he knew not. Sure that the man hadn't seen his eyes, he deactivated them as he moved closer, slowly so as to both postpone his breaching the seal on the floor and to have the man speak first, to beckon him forward.

Right before he crossed the boundary of the invisible seal, the Headmaster finally spoke to Tsukune, his grin no longer present for the time being, "**You came. Good. It would have been such a shame had you declined my invitation, Aono-san.**" The priest placed both his hands on the desk, both human in disguise, but Tsukune remembered the purple flesh and the black claws that looked as though they'd seen their fair share of blood-letting.

After a moment, Tsukune realized he was supposed to reply, "You are the Headmaster of a respectable school. I am not such a delinquent that I would ignore a summons from you. However, I find myself curious as to _why_ I was called; what is this about my education?"

For a moment, Tsukune thought he might get reprimanded for talking out of turn such was the sudden tension in the air, when finally, the headmaster's grin split his face and an eery chuckle escaped. "**I'm not entirely sure...**," he began, and Tsukune felt an appraising glance on him before the headmaster turned his back to him, both hand coming to clasp behind his back. For a moment, Tsukune thought that the man had ended his sentence with that, which Tsukune began to feel a twinge of ire towards. That, however, was proven wrong when he continued, "**...Just what to make of you, Aono-san. You are straight to the point, but you prefer details to the cut-and-dry; you are calculating and cool most of the time, however I've seen a kindness within you that most couldn't hope to claim...**"

The last Aono blinked, his expression not changing beyond his impassive stare. Inside his mind, however, he wondered if the man was giving him a compliment or if he was insulting him – nitpicking a few qualities of his for show. The motions he could barely perceive in the man's voice seemed to make the second option feel a bit _off. _

More-so than the analysis of any hidden meanings the headmaster may have had was the stubborn thought within his mind of, 'what point is he getting to, if any?' While it was a bit _strange_ to hear his traits listed off like that, it wasn't the most unwelcome subject – no one had really pointed such things out to him, he realized. Deciding that now wasn't in anyway close to the time or place to think on it, he instead asked the man in his polite but cold voice, "Pardon my interruption, Mikogami-Dono, how-"

"**You may refer to me as Sensei, or Sama. You are not required to use 'Dono' with me, Aono-san. **" The white-garbed man said, a strange tone in his dark voice. After a moment, he nodded his head and motioned with his left arm, "**Continue.**"

Nodding in spite of the fact that the man clearly couldn't see him, he did as requested, "Mikogami-sensei, I mean you no disrespect, however is there a point you are getting to?" In return, the man's shoulders simply bounced a little, before the sound of his light chuckle made it to his ears, an eyebrow raising in mild concern from it. He would later find that the headmaster rarely laughed out of sheer humor.

The volume of the mysterious man's deep, almost malevolent chuckles steadily increased for almost ten full seconds before he shut them down in less than two, his slightly compromised posture returning to that of the rigid, straight back he had previously kept himself with, "**Indeed, I do have a point; one that might interest you, if you will allow me to get to it.**"

With the way he had worded it, Tsukune almost felt as if the man were annoyed, but the grin the stretched ever further across his shadowed face had him nonplussed and unsure as to his true feelings. Chalking it up to a temporary loss, he relaxed his posture some and bowed his head in an extended nod, "Please, I'd hate to waste your time; you've clearly much to attend to as headmaster of this school."

Once again, the grin faded somewhat, though he could make out the wrinkles in his somewhat visible lower face that signified he was still giving a close-lipped smile, though it was rather small and serious. The feeling that he was once more being scrutinized under the Egyptian-priest look-a-like had initially sent a feeling of wariness up his spine, but now – thirty seconds later – he wanted to bark a sarcastic snark out. 'He is trying my patience, I am certain of it; he wishes to see me loose my nerve. I will not grant him the privilege.'

Silence reigned between the two figures for almost two full minutes, when Mikogami cracked a grin once again, "**Patience is...a virtue, certainly. I admire yours, Aono-san.**" For a moment, Tsukune felt that the man was done talking, and upon said thought he felt his insides begin burning; his annoyance igniting into a flame of anger. It was soon quelled somewhat when the man nodded almost approvingly at the teen and motioned, as he took a seat.

Glancing behind him, the brunette teen was mildly surprised, but didn't let it show. There had been no seat when he had entered the office, 'Must be some kind of conjuring spell.' Several thoughts of possible traps swam through his mind, but he paid them no heed and sat himself down in the seat which immediately pushed him up to the desk, well within the circle's borders. His eyes narrowed, suddenly feeling as if his safety had been compromised, but the headmaster waved his hand in placation, "**Relax, I mean you no ill will. Had I, you wouldn't have survived beyond the door shutting. For the foreseeable future, you and I shall be neutral at worst, I am most certain of that.**"

'Foreseeable future, eh?' Tsukune thought, filing away the information. So, he thought that he and Tsukune were going to have interactions beyond that of a student-teacher dynamic. A grim frown peeled into place on the young Aono's face, staying there for just a scant moment, 'Chance of betrayal – fifty. Any known motives, none currently. Hostile intents; none detected, exudes constant aura of malice, though it is consciously restrained leading to the belief that it is a side-effect and not a conscious feeling.'

Coming back to the conscious world, he observed the man as he reached down and began to fiddle with some strange mechanism on his side of the desk. The man was looking at him, staring actually, but he didn't _feel_ the man's eyes on him as he had the other few times he had been actually _looking_ at him. Deciding to stay silent and watch the proceedings, he leaned back in his seat and gazed about in a seemingly bored daze.

The mahogany desk had some strange runic-like etches burned into it's surface and filled with a lacquer that covered the rest of the desk's surface. Small uneven grooves existed along the top of the desk, as well as the wall directly behind the Youkai Academy's enigmatic headmaster, leading the young teen to believe that either they were weapon caches or hidden switches that led to escape routes or panic rooms. A smirk that quickly fell brought the thought of the man being shoved into a vault with every other student in the school, all too squished to do little more than breathe.

'Ayashi Omelet' came to mind immediately, and he forced a small snicker down, keeping his impassive facade up, curious as to the metallic scraping and the light clicking that seemed to emanate from wherever the man had his hands busy with. The headmaster quickly ducked down, startling Tsukune enough to cause him to widen his eyes just a fraction and wait for the man to retrieve the desired..._items_.

Almost thirty seconds later, the wide bulbs of yellow-white light that were the man's eyes peeked up over the desk as he chuckled. For a moment, it looked like it was _just_ the man's head, but soon the rest of him followed the almost-certainly disembodied head into the seat, a stack of papers held within his gnarled hands.

"**Now, Tsukune-san, let us get down to business ****–**** as I'm sure you're most eager to do.**" The headmaster cackled a bit higher in tone, an odd amused gleam could almost be made out, but the teen wasn't quite sure and didn't care enough to risk revealing his Sharingan to this unknown man; he hadn't revealed it to his _friends_, so he'd be hell-bent to reveal it _here_.

"Yes, if we could do so, it would be appreciated." The exorcist nodded at the respectful request and folded his hands together before him, having already laid out a few papers – three to be exact – in front of him. Tsukune could hardly read the papers in the dim light, and found it strange that the man could do so, 'Though, perhaps the luminescent properties of his eyes allow night-vision? Not improbable.'

A low, rumbling sigh was released from the headmaster's lungs as he looked down at the papers, then slowly glanced up at Tsukune, "**Aono Tsukune, you've encountered numerous problems in my school. Some merely cultural norms gone awry, while others ****–**** attempts to evade the law of my land, and mindless attacks for the sake of slaking one's lust.**"

He didn't need to be told this redundant information, but he supposed that the repitition was some verbal strategy that the headmaster had developed. Perhaps it was intended to lure out the ire of his guests to where they couldn't properly hold their true feelings back, or maybe it was a form of mind-bending; brainwash, _conditioning. _In the end though, it didn't matter. The man clearly had a plan put together; he wasn't senile or mentally weak. No, even though he couldn't see his eyes himself, he knew that they'd hold an intelligence that would beleaguer his own.

Thus, he allowed the man to prattle on, as if he'd just walked into his office and this was a tactic used to unnerve him. Finally, the headmaster's words sparked an ember on a small emotion within his chest. "**Morioka Ginei, the werewolf who is president of **_**your **_**club, pushed you to and beyond your natural limits. You expired for a few moments on the...**_**battlefield**__,_**you know?**" Watching the shock that appeared on the young man's face, however muted and held back it was, was a humorous moment for the _holy man_, though he could see the anguish that lay there as well, '_**Ah, yes... Young Aono does **__**have fragile spots in his heart. The young women, I believe...**_'

Shock had set into the heart of the young teen sitting across from the impossibly old headmaster, his heart lurched at the knowledge that he _had_ died, almost as if the knowledge made it _realize_ that it should have stilled it's life-preserving contractions long ago. Breath caught in his lungs as his heart lurched again, and he was certain that he was having a heart attack. He made to grasp his heart, only for the headmaster to make a gesture, a serious expression – or at least a lack of a grin – set upon his shrouded visage, "**Let it run it's course; the shock will wear off soon enough, Aono-san. I hold no ill will towards you, as explained already.**"

The words didn't comfort him, and the adrenaline rushing through his veins begged to differ against the calm and confident words of the elder man. The pulses of pain were, by far, one of the worst things he'd felt in his relatively short life. Gulping a breath down, he felt his body shudder as yet another pulse hit him. He didn't even have enough concentration to scream – not that he could, and even then, none beyond the room would hear it on account of a sound barrier having been etched into the very walls of the dim room.

Sweat began to pour from the boy, soaking his clothes as his temperature rose to a level that was likely fatal if left unattended for longer than an hour or two. Then, as if nothing was wrong, it all faded aside from his temperature which soon shot down below his proper core. He had no idea of the reasons, but the Headmaster grinned as the boy calmed down. A light chill ran along the youth's spine and he sucked in a tentative breath, glaring daggers at the headmaster, "Before I decide to tear your head clean from your shoulders -"

"**-You may try, to no avail.**" The Dark Lord interrupted with a humorless grin, this one seeming to hold a warning in it's unfriendly gleam, the eyes turning a shade of sickening yellow, loosing all the white that existed in the glowing, pupil-and-irisless orbs. Seeing the young man reign in his sudden anger and panic, the man nodded, pleased. Clearing his throat, he spoke up once more, "**I am unsure of **_**what**_** just happened, but I have my suspicions. I've seen such a thing only once before, and it is not ****–**** as you are probably thinking ****–**** my doing, nor is it your heart. If it were, not only would my skills be in question, but your...**_**trust**_** in me... Those are two things I **_**refuse**_** to accept.**

Watching the rest of the emotions settle down within the teen's chocolate eyes, he latticed his fingers together and pulled one of the papers before him, "**I must call into question your lack of attendance in my school, as well as these...**_**fights**_** you've been getting involved in.**"

Slowly the eyes widened, then the pupils dilated as shock, then fear brimmed to life in his eyes, just like some of the other students he had to have this talk with over the years he'd been in charge of this, Youkai Academy. Unlike the others though, it soon faded to be replaced by understanding, and then...nothing. Just as soon as it had come, the emotions were culled, '_**Useful trait, that...You will need it, Aono-san, more so than I think you know.**_'

"If this has come to my expulsion, then I thank you for granting me time in this institution," Tsukune started, only to see the man shake his hand, indicating that this was not _quite_ the case. Cocking his head to the side minutely, he crossed his arms over his chest and awaited the man to explain. He had fully expected this to be an expulsion, but as it wasn't _yet_, he would stick around to hear what the headmaster had to say.

"**In accordance with the charter I established along with my two...**_**associates**_**, 'Any student who attends Youkai Academy shall be entitled to three rights, along with those rights universally considered otherwise inalienable to sentient creatures, barring monstrosity boundaries. Being that the mission of this Academy is to, ultimately, allow the ayashi of the world to integrate seamlessly within human society, expulsion is to be the **_**last**_** authoritative power used. With exceptions to murder, rape, and intentional mental destruction, a student is to be allowed to make up their misdeeds through special tasks given by the administrative staff and Headmaster of Youkai Academy.'**" Mikogami allowed the words he recited to sink into the young man's mind before daring to continue, somewhat expecting his young charge to be shocked, or any kind of emotion besides the polite but impassive stare to crop up.

"I am to assume," Tsukune began, knitting both eyebrows together some as he adjusted himself in the seat some, "that you have an _assignment_ for me, then?"

Grunting out a truly ferocious sounding sign of agreement, the headmaster nodded and wrung his bony thumbs against one another before him, "**Indeed. However, it extends beyond merely your...**_**attendance**_**, Aono-san.**" Seeing the questioning glance that all but ordered the man to explain himself, Mikogami assented of his own free will, "**You asked of me six weeks prior to this very date what it is I did to save you; what it is, exactly, I did to ensure that you would continue to breathe for the time being.**"

Pleased that he now had the young man's undivided attention, and more-so his interest, he grinned and leaned forward as he pulled another one of the papers before him, seeming to read it over with great admiration and pride. Tsukune found himself opening his mouth before he could stop, "I've noticed myself feeling not quite..._myself_. Is it right to assume that these _symptoms_ are a result of your tampering?"

Another cackle left the elder man's lips, this time unclasping his hands to reach for a small obsidian bowl that, somehow, was moderately translucent. Plucking something from within it, he gestured to it, "**Dragon ball?**" Immediately, Tsukune refused; his mind filling with thoughts that he wouldn't have been caught dead thinking months earlier, before he was certain of there being a supernatural set of worlds. Images of angry dragons roaring at their loss caused a second shudder to rise up his spine, but he managed to suppress it before his extremities were effected.

"**More for myself, then.**" He said more to himself, then turned his sights back to Tsukune, popping the crimson and black orb into his mouth, yet when he talked it sounded as if he had nothing inhibiting his speech, "**You are correct in your assumption, for the most part. I...**_**assume**_** some of it is due to whatever caused the outburst a few minutes prior. As it is though, when I had to...**_**reconstruct**_** your body, I was sorely lacking in **_**spare parts**_** that would acclimate to you properly... Heheh.**"

"_What do you mean!?_" Tsukune hissed, jumping to his feet as he resisted the _very_ strong urge to activate his Uchiha ancestor's birthright and do his damnedest to tear the answers from the illusive man's throat. Between the placating gesture of the hand, the harmless dark chuckle from the headmaster and his own mental bulkheads closing off, he managed to cool off some and take a seat again. After a few breaths, he tried again, "What do you mean, are you trying to tell me that you..."

Shaking his head beneath his cowl, the man chuckled at the thought, "**No, I did not harvest parts from humans, though that would be what one would expect an **_**ayashi**_** to do, wouldn't it?**" Suddenly feeling a need to adjust himself again, the brunette maintained eye contact, despite the cold chill that clawed within him. After a terse silence, Mikogami spoke up, "**No, I used a few favors I had with certain...**_**individuals, **_**exchanging their debt for your own, as it were. In the end, I managed to have your skeletal structure regrown using nothing more than magic and a few fragments used to bridge the joints.**"

"**Your organs**," He continued with a grin, "**were a bit more difficult. I managed to get several replacements from the cryogenic lab here on campus... Such a shame that some students die within my Academy, I'd rather it not happen, but... One life gone, saves at least another and adds to the scenery.**"

"What _organs_ do I have within me, then? Is there any chance that they will be rejected by my body on account of my _biology_ being different?" Tsukune's question gained an enthused cackle as the man grabbed the final piece of paper and stood, walking back a step from his seat, "**You **_**should**_** be just fine, Aono-san. Unless I'm wrong, I managed to choose from what we have in stock here **_**just**_** the **_**right**_** organs to ensure your survival.**"

The young Sharingan host bowed his head some, a feeling of trepidation making itself known within his gut. His words rested on his tongue, unsure if they should be uttered; the threat he had heard at the beginning of the year suddenly looming overhead, and feeling very real. Still, he tried to never do anything half-assed and persevered, "Hn. So, you know that I'm human, then... Would this service you're telling me about be preparations for my own execution?"

Partially dreading the answer, but partially sure of it, the brunette steeled in an attempt to come as close as he could to accepting his untimely death. He had a chance to survive if Moka, or perhaps Kurumu had managed to find out; he could have debated with them, or used their affections for him to ensure his safety, respectively. The Headmaster though, the head-hancho; ruler over Youkai Academy, and perhaps the entire realm it resided in... There was no chance of survival if this man wanted him dead, not at his strength.

That didn't mean he wouldn't take as many people who revealed themselves hostile to him down as possible before he, finally, fell. No, he wouldn't go down without _trying_, that went against everything that he stood for. If he would go down so easily, he might as well have died at the hands of Isshin so long ago.

When he received no answer, he felt as though his predictions were true. Feeling his adrenaline pump, the young man figured that the best way to start this dance of death would be to look his opponent in the face, respectful to the man even as they prepared to fight to the death. However, when he looked at the man, there was no malicious intent – no more than had been there – nor was there surprise or fear, merely understanding and a small bit of humor.

Nonplussed at the man's strange behavior and seeming acceptance of his confession, his mouth jawed some before the words on the tip of his tongue finally found sound for which to be heard, "Y-You're not surprised... Nor do I feel as though you wish me dead. I'm intrigued, what goes on within your mind, then?"

"**There is precious little that goes on within this school that I don't know about.**" The headmaster said, releasing a breath that almost sounded like a sigh. He picked up another dragon ball and went on, paying no mind to Tsukune's disgusted grimace, "**This includes **_**your **_** admittance to this prestigious little gem. It **_**is**_** true that should a human **_**wander**_** onto Youkai Academy's grounds, they will be executed without remorse...**"

"**You, however**," he gestured to Tsukune, a smile playing at his obscured lips, "**didn't **_**wander**_** onto campus; you were **_**enrolled**_**. It is a precious secret that I have done my best to keep under wraps, all things considered. There have been a **_**few**_** before you, over the...heheh, **_**years**_**, but none within recent memory.**"

"Then," Tsukune began, feeling both apprehension and relief washing over his form in an emotional battle, both trying to over-power the other, "Your assignment for me does not require my death, for which I am thankful. I apologize for my questions, however you can see my paranoia is quite...active today, for obvious reasons."

He wasn't quite sure _why_ he had apologized, but it seemed the least he could do after seemingly trying the man's patience; a man who had every _right_ to rip his essence from his body and spill it over the campus of his school. It would be the last time Mikogami received an apology from the boy.

Nodding his acknowledgment to the apology, he quickly made to speak more on the business that he had called the young man in for, "**Now finally, onto the true business that I called you here for. You are in debt to me for keeping you alive. Every breath you take before me and out of my presence cost four large favors from one of my...**_**acquaintances**_**, and three other people of **_**considerable**__**power**_**. I am within my rights to call you on **_**any**_** one task to repay this debt, and I have in my possession the task which you are to undertake.**"

Picking up the last sheet of paper, he let the brunette take in the fact that he owed the headmaster a debt, that the priest-like man before him had went out of his way to save him, when he could have easily left him to expire. As understanding set in, Tsukune found himself not all that shocked, in fact; he almost felt that such a thing were natural. It was brushed off quickly, but it still nagged at him in the back of his mind.

"I understand, Mikogami-sensei. What would you have me do?" Tsukune stood, ready and waiting to receive his task from the school's headmaster, the Exorcist in an Egyptian-priest's robes. It was odd, but Tsukune felt as though he had been in such a position before, but not recently... A long, _long_ time ago... A time far lost to memory. Pushing the melancholic feeling aside, but resolving to investigate it during his down time, he returned his focus to the man across from him.

Staring at one of the many vermillion pentagrams that littered his reception office, Mikogami's lips upturned in a truly terrifying grin. He wondered how the boy would take it if he _knew... _If he knew the things that lay in the future for him. Some of them, Mikogami knew, others he speculated, and even still there was a great deal he knew not, choosing to trust in the cards fate dealt.

"**You will work for me. I have several informants that relay information to me about the goings on in areas that are of great concern to me. I, however, cannot **_**deal**_** with these...**_**situations**_**, myself. Therefore, I would like **_**you**_** to go in my stead.**" The Dark Lord had lost his grin, his tone completely serious as he awaited Tsukune's response. He didn't have to wait too long.

"Limitations?" Tsukune requested, shocking the man at the ease he accepted the overall job description, but pleasing him immensely more. Yes, the young Aono boy would be very useful to him, he decided and answered, "**Within Youkai Gakuen, **_**try**_** not to cause any fatalities... I would rather not have my student body lose anymore members, and the **_**paperwork**_** would be **_**murder**_**.**"

Chuckling at his own macabre joke, he quickly returned to his serious mentality, "**In the surrounding Ayashi realms, I ask the same of you from Youkai Gakuen. However, within the **_**Human Realm**_**, I urge you to do your very best to not draw attention, and do **_**not **_**allow **_**anyone**_** to reveal their true forms in the public eye. **_**Kill them**_** if you must, but do **_**not**_** allow humans to come under attack or see the true nature of an ayashi.**"

Understanding the logic of this, and agreeing to it with a nod, Tsukune felt the strange urge to ask if there was anything more he needed to know, and thus he did, "Is that all, or shall there be anything else imparted to me?"

"**Oh, yes, there **_**is**_** one more thing**," The headmaster grinned out, wringing his gnarled and bony hands together as he seemed to look past Tsukune, as if expecting the door to open, "**You will have a **_**partner**_**, heheheh!**"

**A/n: I'm pleased to announce that Aono's Kaleidescope will officially be moving to the Naruto/Rsoario +Vampire crossover section. This is not due to the incessant buggering I've received from a few asshats who seemed to have randomly started their first period – no offense to you girls out there , unless you're of the guilty party, in which case BLEED! - and decided to have a hissy fit over my story. In truth, the move is due to the plan that my story has laid out having gone in a new direction that brings it from 'Grazing the Naruto fandom cusp', and completely tosses it onto the median – if still leaning a bit towards R+V.**

**Now, with this final mentioning of it, I ask you all how you've enjoyed this chapter? True, it wasn't filled with the action, nor direct retributions of the previous chapter's events – but we will get to them. Bare in mind that we're dealing with a school that, compared to every school you or I have attended, is corrupt beyond all measure. I mean, I wouldn't be surprised if they have a morgue and furnace in the hospital annex's basement! Would you?**

**As I mentioned, we have just exited the 'Prologue Arc'. This second arc, while not completely deviating from canon, will begin to tug away from it – like this and the next few chapters do. I am willing to take suggestions for potential villains – henchmen, so-called mini-bosses, etc. If you have one, please send it to me via a PM – I reply to my reviewers, so it isn't any stretch to think I don't check my PM box.**

**Finally, I would like announce to my Naruto fans, Kuyou Fox has two awesome stories entitled, "Rise of Demons", and the second one, which is, "Price of Freedom." They are both awesome, PoF being the newest and having only one chapter out at the moment. **

**For my Rosario + Vampire fans, I would like to turn your attentions to three great stories and their authors. First is Platinumsabr's "Here in my arms", Brone Greyclaw's "Rosario Chains", and finally MistressWinowyll's "Get What you wanted" as well as it's sequel.**


	12. A New Undertaking

**Man, this past week has been so fuckin'... Horrific isn't even the word. First, the Boston Bombings – the clusterfuck of mis-information on all sides that went on there – and the eventual capturing of the supposed surviving brother of the two suspects (Read: "Actors", according to the newsman's slip. Who makes a mistake like that?). Then, West, Texas' complete explosion... Hn. I just gotta say, it's all tragic – extremely so-, but also a little suspicious and _too_ convenient (Doubt that West is to be drawn in, but all these terror attacks?). Draw your own conclusions about it, but I was an Obama supporter both times and now – I don't even support this country's (Note lack of reverent capitalization) government anymore. I love America... but the government? 's for the birds.**

**I suppose, if this were in Nixon's reign, you could label me a hippie. Love the country; gov't can suck mah baws – as Cartmen would say. Support the troops; drown the politicians.**

**With that rant done – for which I apologize for taking up time, but not for anyone who is offended (Unless it is to the Boston, Mass Bombings – in which case my heart goes out to those that were injured.) - I shall now get on with the more important things. Before I get to the replies though, I would like to say that I'm doing this really close to the time I'm heading to town, so if I don't get to you, I apologize and you will be given time in the next chapter.**

**Replies:**

**Pyromania 101- For most, that will be true, but I have ways of making Moka submit. Ah, the plans and actions to come... Now, you are correct for most of vampire population. It just happens that Moka is one of the few that will be capable of being civilized (educated?) for the most part. Nah, you're not in the wrong for feeling the way you do – for the most part you are correct.**

**You are partially correct here. Yes, he did – but he also isn't incompetent; he knows _exactly_ what he's doing. I find him to be the Brains of the Dark Lords, personally. Trust me, Mikogami is a manipulative bastard and isn't afraid of what he must do to bring about the results he desires. I have quite the plan for him.**

**Hm, well it will reconcile. When – I don't know. Thanks, I find the most moderate touches of things help push what I want to happen a long, long way – such as Kurumu's slight comforting of him. Once again, I thank you – my most avid of reviewers whom has been with me since the beginning – for sticking with me and reviewing.**

**Junky:**** You have nothing to fear – save for a brief instance ( which may not even make it, for it's done with sheer shock value and a small story connectivity in mind) late in the story- on that front. Your suspicion is quite astute, but that's still a few chapters off.**

**I rather dislike the sheer power boosts that happen in Naruto. For Shinobi, they sure enjoy to drag out and hold back their cards to release them over time... Yet, they've done very little to actually develop/earn these powers. Tobi earned his power, but he's the only Uchiha I feel who has – and he has the mental scarring to prove it. That being said, I have plans that will be truly plausible later on in the story – plausible to me at least - so it requires that Tsukune gain some power... But it won't all be reliant on the Sharingan.**

**Heh, thanks. I find it much more interesting when things aren't quite so cut-and-dry as the manga and some of the authors here make the story out ot be. Not that such a story is bad, I just prefer to look at the dark side of life. I mean, even the manga's Fairy Tail takes things on a 'soft' course... Anywhore, thanks for reviewing!**

**The six path's****: I can't really be sure. At the moment it is up in the air, but I and my Beta are currently throwing up many ideas for a possibly acquiring of the EMS. At present, it is unknown – assume 'no', and be pleasantly surprised if he does.**

**OmegaHouse:**** What are you confused about – I will try to shed light on it in a PM. Yes, this follows – loosely – on the Manga, at the moment. Later on, it will likely leave the Manga entirely behind, only barely gracing it's borders every once in a while.**

**TheLaughingMan1 – Thank you for your reviews; they were very welcome.**

**Icb117- I'm happy to hear it. I hope you, and everyone else, will stick with me 'till the end.**

**Fg7dragon – Thanks.**

**SixPathscv – Question first; what's the cv for? In a roundabout way, yes; you see, Shinobi I am considering to be an evolutionary branch of humanity (similar to the now-extinct Neanderthals.), which were capable of mixing the mana (Witches) and the ki (Martial Artists) of supposed 'border beings' properly to make the chakra fusion. When they died out, chakra also died... This will be further explained later on, and the origins of the precursors of current monsters and youkai, therein.**

**Semexx – Dude... I just can't thank you enough for your reviews, and especially your massive help with the two witches. I've already gotten an idea for Yukari, but I will incorporate your ideals as best I can. Ruby, however, will be almost entirely influenced by your suggestions – past wise, at least. Also, you mentioned the fact that the fight with Saizou confused you, yet you hit the nail on the head; he wouldn't know that he was under an illusion. In that same way, I figured, 'Why not take the reader for a ride on the effects of the illusion?', hence the reason I showed his (2nd?) POV and what he experience.**

**I agree with, and can completely see your fascination with the Moka/Moka/Tsukune dynamic. I've thought about it before, but never in quite so much detail. Kudos, man, kudos. Oh, and you you got the interpretation of Asura spot-on; I figured someone with that mentality would be perfect for teaching him.**

**Also, I must commend you on your review of chapter 5; you're one of the very few to seem to appreciate the fact that I made sure to incorporate the fact that this is, indeed, a MONSTER school, heh. I look forward to more from you.**

**As to why Tsukune thinks he's human: To put it simply, he doesn't know any better; at best he assumes that a select few humans can use Youkai, but keep it on the DL – so to speak. Cold fact, cynicism, and his own brand of paranoia dictate that governmental figures would study and dissect anything 'weird' like that – assuming they wouldn't kill it first. Hehe, where do you think he learned the Water Bullet from – just developed it?**

**Unfortunately, I can't comply with your hope for a lack of scars; I've tried to keep damage true to what is owed once attributes are taken into account. Now, he's not going to be a flower child and develop a scar for every scrape, but... Say, if he gets disemboweled, but somehow survives, he'll have the scar – you don't just heal from that. It won't be red and angry and shit – but it'll be there.**

**Mangatraders worked. Thanks, friend.**

**Finally, the martial arts styles. I'll admit they're difficult at best to find – the reason why I chose them. I only directly listed one, a folly which I should correct soon. Until then, here's the three that make up the Kage Tora no Mai: Bagua Zhang – Yin Style, Heihuquan, and Ninjitsu.**

**Twigon Halolover- I know, it doesn't seem to be the proper choice, but despite being outwardly cold, he isn't heartless. The last time he killed (Saizou) he was sick for days, as well, for a reason as of yet unknown... Ergo, between the fact that he has only killed twice, and the mysterious sickness _alone_, he would be hesitant to kill. Then, one must understand – this is a monster school... He didn't get in trouble for killing Saizou, so clearly that is -at worst- frowned upon, and therefore they didn't do anything _wrong_, per se.**

**SilverFlameHaze - Heh, must have been lovely to return with all of that mail, then. I do the same as you; write up three-four chapters and then try to keep that amount set before me just in case I happen to get writer's block, or break my brain, or some other unfortunate writing-cripplement – yeah, I'm aware that's not a word. You think so? Huh, I actually figured a vast majority would have been on my ass for writing a shitty chapter without fighting... Thanks, man.**

**Ranmyaku Kiritsu – Thanks for your review.**

**I would like to say that, if my situation was different, I may respond in PM's, but as it is, I simply don't have the time. Besides, as Semexx pointed out, it stops me from having to type out the same answer time and time again. Confused? Look at the Q/A at the beginning of the chapter, hehe.**

**I was wrong on the story recs, Fox has yet to post PoF yet, but it will be coming soon.**

**Guest – Thank you; I try to put a descent batch of everything in it – and it seems that it's working, heh. Happy to hear that you, and others, love my work.**

**ManlyMonk – You brought the review mang? Good, good. Here's the money, mang – don' fuck wit' Tony Montana! **

**Hey, I'm surprised at my development to your enjoyment of my skills... That didn't make sense, but fuck it. Indeed – I think that the way I'm introducing Mizore will make her one of the only (Outer Moka, and _possibly - but not likely- _Ruby being the only other two) girls who he doesn't fight initially. Love the pun, by the way, heh. **

**Gin shall be receiving just what is coming to him, don't worry (Or piss yourselves, fans of Gin! Piss!). Yeah, aside from one possible instance way, waaaaay down deep Into this story, there won't be an active character cross – and even then, I doubt it would ruin the quality of the story. **

**Reishin Amara- No, I'm not just learning about it; hell, I've known about his stories since the beginning. I just decided to spread the reviewer/reader wealth...as it were (Seeing as I can't just grab a handful of you guys, copy/paste, rent a blimp and toss you all out towards other ff people I like.)**

**Hah! Loved it, thanks Reishin.**

**Disclaimer: I see nozing! I know Nozing!**

Tsukune glared at the man, the shock still evident on his face as he felt a streak of anger slowly radiate away. 'A _partner_. My duties require I work with a _partner_. This is crucial information which I would have liked to have had in the_ beginning!' _Tsukune found himself growling to himself, his hands balling and uncurling into fists and back to splayed-finger open palms.

He wanted to wring the man's neck, but he knew that he owed the man his life. Still, it didn't stop his irritation towards this trickery; he'd already agreed to undertake the duties that his debt to the headmaster encompassed. That was likely why the damned man had played his hand as he did, knowing that if there was a partner involved, Tsukune would likely be uncomfortable with the idea and decline.

'Mikogami-sensie is completely correct, so I suppose it's just as well' The teenager admitted, thoughts of Moka Akashiya and her betrayal, as he perceived it, against him filling his mind once more. Clenching his fists again, he tried his hardest to stop the sinking pit in his stomach as the floor dropped out from under him whilst his heart began to go through a meat-grinder.

The urge to weep from the pain was no longer there as it had been; he supposed that the shock of the impending situation had lessened the impact with the irritation and anger he felt, but it wasn't anymore less miserable and painful than before. In fact, the more he thought about it, the more it seemed to tear at his very soul, making the pain incrementally worse for him.

Shutting down his emotions behind the mental bulkheads he'd set in place, he could feel them slowly die down without having to actually suffer through the terrible action. Allowing a grim smile to slip onto his lips that wasn't matched by his eyes, both of which stared impassively at the door as they had been for the past five minutes since the Headmaster had sent out a letter in the beak of a raven, Tsukune let a silent sigh out.

The man who had pulled the wool over Tsukune's eyes seemed to cast him a side-long glance, though it was hard to tell with his odd eyes, "**I expect you two to at least tolerate one-another; I would rather not have to replace either of you. Who knows, you two might become **_**friends**_**.**"

Casting a glare over at the man that was filled with both his ire and his disbelief, the brunette scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest. The chances of he and his partner becoming friends was almost equal to him becoming the leader of a paramilitary organization with the same prestige of ol' Mikogami. He didn't keep his disbelief to himself, either, "I will not hinder working as a team, however I doubt a friendship will come from this agreement; I am not the most approachable person in the world, nor am I in the _market_ for _friends_, as I'm _certain_ you know."

A careless chuckle came from the Dark Lord who didn't bother looking at his charge, "**In times of stress and strife, the oddest of phenomena are said to occur; the least of those, I'm sure, is the formation of a friendship.**" The sarcasm that seemed to drip off of the man's tongue during that last statement caused the young man across from him to narrow his chocolate eyes, but only slightly. He couldn't exactly blame the man for trying, much as he'd like to.

Turning away from the door, he glanced around the room to help suppress the feeling of dread that was slowly beginning to build up. He honestly didn't _want_ a partner, his wounds with Moka far too fresh in his mind. He would have really enjoyed an excuse such as missions for the Headmaster to have more time to himself; more time to sort out his issues. He sighed, 'I might as well do my best to make this experience as...cohesive as possible. Blast it all to hell.'

His eyes trailed over the desk to the paper that the man had held as the two of them spoke minutes earlier. He wondered what was on them, for he _couldn't_ have gone through all the information on the papers. Looking at the far one, he noticed it had a lot of information blacked out on it, leaving only a few slots of text open for reading.

Casting a glance around the room, he decided to try to garner some information, expecting the sheet of parchment to be his prospective partner's personal file, especially with all the marked out info. Upon flashing his Sharingan and using the minor night-vision it gave him as a side-effect of it's tell-tale glow, he found himself even more confused, 'This is..._my_ file!'

It was shocking to know that his file held so much classified information, but he supposed it was fitting, after-all, Mikogami had said that his existence as a human that was enrolled in the academy was a closely guarded secret; one that he had been trying to hold onto for a while. However, if that were the case, he doubted such knowledge would be kept in his file, so then, _what_ _was being left out_?

Was there something about himself that he didn't know? Perhaps all this time, the man knew about his Sharingan – somehow – and had covered it up in the document. Many thoughts ran through his mind, each one plausible, but of varying degrees of improbability; some even coming _close_ to impossible. Gripping the bridge of his nose discreetly, he took in a shallow breath and held it, letting his mind slow down as he turned back to his original position.

"**Your partner approaches. Allow me to bestow you with this one piece of information; **_**he**_** is rather like you, in a way... It is why I paired the two of you together. Do not get on his bad side, Aono-san**." Cracking a maddening grin, the elder man made to move behind his desk and gestured, a second replica of the chair Tsukune had been sitting in earlier appearing beside it with nary a shimmer or a puff of smoke – it just _was_.

Chocolate orbs of obsidian froze over as per their owner's regular protocol when meeting someone for the first time. His posture straightened unconsciously and his overall body language went from exuding an aura of 'Wary, but at relative peace', to one of a sleeping lion; peaceful for now, but constantly on edge and ready to destroy any threats to his being. He felt his awareness of his surroundings sharpen slightly more from what they were, and now he could hear the very, _very_ faint buzzing of energy in the ambient air, likely due to the fact that he _knew_ it was there in the first place.

After moving over to his chair to stand by it, his body turned to face the door as was the Headmaster's own. Tsukune tried his best to not allow any one emotion out of the massive maelstrom that raged beneath his blackened heart break through. It wasn't much of a struggle, in all honesty, but that didn't mean that the minor battle was any less irksome and tiresome.

The attention of both the room's occupants was called to order when the sound of the old, thick door creaked open slowly. As it budged open, the bright light of the world outside the room and the sounds therein began to flood in, sounding as if it was quite busy beyond the sound-proof walls – likely the interlude between classes, Tsukune mused.

Then, the light was interrupted by a form pushing it's way through the door, the distinct popping of tight leather and the metallic clink of armor accompanying every movement that the new arrival made. Of course, this was only audible to Tsukune thanks to his increased focus, and even then he was hard-pressed to catch it. Within a moment, the room was back to being it's own solitary world as the door closed, activating the sound-proof seal's circuit once more.

He looked over the new arrival, his mind analyzing every detail that he could make out in the low light ambiance of the room. The person across the room stood still, their form not stocky, but not lithe and scrawny either; whether this was a reflection of their human disguise, or a physique augmented by the armor they wore, Tsukune wasn't sure.

Speaking of armor, the third party in the room was clad in - from what Tsukune could make out without the use of his crimson eyes – black, or more than likely, dark brown leather pants which had dark grey 'scales' of arched iron or steel running along the thighs, each one incrementally longer than the one before it until they reached – at the fourth one – three inches or so in length. On the knees sat an off-shoot to the grieves they wore, the same color of the metal scales, but in a hinged octagon with a small, blunt spike protruding out – not enough to puncture the skin easily, but it would certainly augment one's knee strikes.

The grieves themselves were fairly basic, being merely a set of shin-guards of the same non-reflective metal that the rest of the armor pieces had been made of, and held to the leg by three leather straps that held to the calf. The feet were covered in what looked like an augmented version of the tabi footwear, only it was not open – instead, it had metal plates layered along a central sheet of leather much like the thighs.

The person's upper body was covered in a leather vest, held closed with a zipper made of plastic – likely to help keep down the sound that would already be present with the metallic sections of armor that covered most of the clothing they wore, including the vest. Speaking of, thin metal plates covered the shoulders and collar area with a small spaulder-like offshoots on either side, though they didn't extend beyond three inches outward, nor did they go beyond mid-bicep

Covering the chest was a thin curiass of plate armor, no more than a quarter-of-an-inch in thickness. This piece of armor began just below the collar and extended down to the diaphragm, becoming tapered and thin, where it merged with a thick mat of leather that extended down the front of the abdomen. This sheet of hard leather was scored, allowing for increased maneuverability while protecting the organs shielded by them.

Overall, the armor would hold up in a hand-to-hand fight, easily protecting against large bladed weapons and small impact weapons – such as axes and batons, but doing little against precision piercing weapons such as a dagger, or large impactors like a war-hammer. It would do nothing beyond being a hindrance if a gun was involved. Tsukune didn't allow it to show, but he was marginally impressed and pleased, 'This person at least seems to possess some form of common sense.'

Glancing up to his..._partner's_ face, he found that he couldn't see it very well on account of the shroud covering it, much like how Mikaogami's own engulfed his. There was a distinct lack of the supernatural darkness masking the newcomer, allowing him to see past the negligible shadow cast by the dark brown hood to reveal a metallic gray face-mask that encased their face from the bridge of the nose down to the chin, and seemed to be held in place by several straps. Beneath this, there was evidence of a black elastic cloth mask that likely covered the same thing it's metallic counterpart did.

The only part of the new arrival's features that he _could_ ascertain was the color of his eyes – an icy cerulean blue - once he mentally reduced the mildly obfuscating tint that the glasses he wore caused. He couldn't make out hair color, and there were too many variables in the light to make out their skin color and complexion, if there were any section that were left uncovered.

As a whole, the new arrival stood at a little over five-foot five, though he supposed that the tabi's extra mass of sole on the bottom, perhaps to keep the sound down, likely added a little to it. Finished with his appraisal, he gave a half-nod of approval to himself and presumably to the Headmaster, though he continued to feel wholly against the idea of taking a fellow school-mate with him, regardless of the reasons given.

Across the way, Mikogami chuckled, seeing the attire Tsukune's partner had chosen. It was..._fitting_, he supposed, all things considered. With an ironic kind of snicker, the Dark Lord thought of the tasks he had set aside for the brunette and his armored partner, and couldn't help the grin that sprouted from these thoughts.

Motioning the two who seemed to be looking one another over, he then motioned to the chairs as he took one, himself. After making himself comfortable, and allowing his guests to do the same, he began, "**It is good that you've joined us. I would like to introduce you to your new **_**partner**_**. Would either of you care to**_** introduc**_**e yourselves to the other?**"

The order was heard loud and clear from both of them, despite the fact that it wasn't threatening or made far too obvious. Still, neither wished to displease the powerful man before them, and stood quickly, both with their own unique grace and poise; Tsukune's being that of a practiced aristocrat - so fluid was it - and his partner's being that of a nimble fighter who's balance and flexibility were beyond compare. The two once again seemed to stare at the other, each processing information on the other's technique.

His partner was the first to bow, bending at the waist marginally and inclining his head the rest of the way. When he finally regained proper posture, the brunette heard the hissing, metallic overtone of an electronically rendered voice covering the armored person's own soft-spoken near-genderless voice. The only hint to the voice belonging to a male was the gravelly accent to the words, but he could hear it well enough, "Greetings, I am known as Pagos, and would appreciate you using this name."

Tsukune, for his part, didn't think it too odd the way he introduced himself. In fact, he had found that the idea of an alias was actually rather intelligent so as to separate himself from his work on behalf of the Headmaster. Giving a sign of acknowledgment in a light nod, the last Aono made equal effort in his own bow, however he straightened quicker, "It is good to meet you Pagos, my true name is of little consequence. You may refer to me as..."

'As what?' Tsukune found himself thinking, his mind leafing through ideas. In all actuality it didn't truly matter, this he knew. This monicker he would be known by could be anything under the sky. That, however, was precisely the point; something in him, _deep_ within him wanted to be _known._ It was a foreign concept to him, and as best as he could figure, it was the voice's doing. Still, it clawed at him, almost _pleading_ for him to choose something that would have _meaning_.

Finally, Tsukune felt a small smirk tug at his lips. It wasn't anything that the other two in the room noticed, but he knew by the sudden lack of pressure in his mind that _whatever_ it was, was pleased. His mind set, he continued from where he had left off, chocolate eyes of obsidian hiding the odd sense of pride that rushed through his veins, "...Karasu."

His new partner didn't seem to have much of an opinion of the name, and merely nodded. The half-hidden blue eyes seemed to regard him with a look of contemplation for nary a moment before they blinked and the observantly calculating look was back. Paying it little mind, Tsukune was forced to turn when both he and his partner's monickers were called by their..._employer_, as was the appropriate title now.

Mikogami felt a dark chill run up his spine as...'Karasu_' _turned to look at him. It wasn't the kind of chill one got from being scared or startled, nor was it quite one of pleasure. This feeling, to put it simply, just _was_. It was as if the Universe itself had trembled for a scarce moment, a change evident in the folds of time – though if it were for good or ill, only time would tell.

Seeing that he now had their undivided attention, the priest produced the third paper he had been holding nearly fifteen minutes earlier from what seemed to be the darkness itself. Placing it before him on the mahogany desk, he chuckled as he looked it over with interest, occasionally lifting his head to apparently gaze at his two..._employees_.

"**The first task I have for the two of you is simple... In theory.**" The Headmaster explained, receiving an expectant look from Pagos, and a deadpan stare from Tsukune/Karasu, whose eyes barely narrowed in a display of his very mild irritation at the man's games. The look quickly subsided, likely a side affect of him either having such a tight hold on his emotions currently, or perhaps the new presence had something to do about it. Either way, Mikogami found he cared little, "**There have been several reports of...**_**forced affections**_** on my school's campus. The Public Safety Commission claims to have looked into it, however I find they are becoming...**_**unreliable**_**.**"

"Public Safety Commission?" The question was posed by Pagos, emotion of some kind evident in the voice, but nothing that either person in the room could discern, partly due to the electronic rendering of the vocal patterns. There was, however, a curiosity in the cerulean eyes hiding behind the glasses of Tsukune's partner.

An inclination of the head was given by the Dark-Lord-turned-Headmaster who didn't chuckle, nor grin. When he spoke, it was the first time Tsukune had ever noted the frayed strands of barely contained frustration in the man's voice, "**Indeed. The Public Safety Commission, a group that was put into practice to help keep the Academy safe. Recently, however, they've been less than effective.**"

"As you were saying, Mikogami-sensei?" Tsukune/Karasu brought them back onto track, returning to the base issue at hand. If his analysis of the man was correct, and his gut to be believed, this Public Safety Commission would rear it's head a few more times; more than enough time to get the information from the Headmaster. For now, he wished to simply get the job over with and relax; this day had been emotionally draining on him.

Pagos glanced at him, a strange look in his eyes before he, too nodded in seeming agreement with Tsukune's/Karasu's regrouping of the conversation. Releasing a breath, the man was silent for just a moment as he regained his faculties. Soon, the shrouded man went on to speak, "**As I had said, the Public Safety Commission claims that they've looked into it, but no results have been noticed; every week there is at least one report of an **_**attempt**_**. I take the safety of my students personally, and I would have you two do the same.**"

"I will do as you ask of me, Mikogami-sensei. Are there any leads?" Tsukune/Karasu asked, gesturing to the paper the man continued to look over with his hand. The young teen awaited his answer as the man cracked a small grin, his glowing eyes seeming to fill with a pressure that radiated both appreciation and satisfaction, though an anger not directed at them brimmed beneath.

Receiving a nod, his gnarled hands bent the paper up slightly, "**The name of the individual is not known, however he has been spotted near the women's dormitories, in the woods behind the pool, and along the wooded pathways leading to Youkai Academy. Reports have him changing his arms, leading me to believe him to be an Outcast-Ayashi.**"

This time, Tsukune was the one who diverted the mission briefing, "Outcast Ayashi – Inform me of them." The young man had tried to study up on certain aspects of the supernatural world during the last four weeks; going to the library as often as he could when he wasn't training himself. Unfortunately the library merely had subjects one would be most likely to find in a human library, and of the books he did find – ironically in the fantasy section – there was very little he didn't already know or deduce on his own.

Pagos seemed to blink, genuine surprise coming out in the minor increase in breath and the slight shift in his posture. It was strange to Pagos that a monster wouldn't know what an Outcast-Ayashi was. Of course, there were communities that shunned the social division caused by such a title, but just because it wasn't in practice didn't mean that they were ignorant to it. It was hardly a social division _any way – _more of a chasm_._

The Headmaster voiced the knowledge though, rather than keep it to himself as Pagos seemed content to do, "**An Outcast-Ayashi is ****one who has such diluted monster blood within them that there is no **_**true**_** proof of origin; they have no stable form such as an Ogre, Harpy, or Dragon might have. Instead, their youki **_**becomes**_** their Ayashi form, and allows them to – in their first manifestation – re-purpose it to meet their needs. Usually this is a weapon of some sort.**"

Pagos nodded, "Most consider them below 'Pureblood' Monsters, however some are far stronger than their 'pure' counterparts. It has become more-or-less common practice to shun them." Feeling the cool gaze of his partner cross over him, soaking up the information, the armor-clad man shrugged nonchalantly.

"Do you consider them to be inferior, Pagos?" Tsukune's vacuous words caused a light shiver to run through his form, and he was silently thankful that he was able to hide it as he did. The moment was uncomfortable as he felt the orbs of frozen chocolate judge him, awaiting his answer to come to a verdict. In some way, it made him respect the teen more, and in others, it produced a slight fear of the brunette boy.

Finding his words, Pagos replied, "I haven't met enough to form a concrete conclusion, but based on pure ethics and my observations, my opinion of them is that they _are_ weaker than most Ayashi, but it is no reason to treat them differently. They live, eat and breath the same as most of us, and most wish for nothing more than the basic respect every living being is given."

The air stayed terse, the tension thick within the air as the armor-clad man found himself wondering if he'd offended the brunette, and worrying if a fight was to break out. It wasn't that he was scared of fighting the teen though, no; he was certain he could bring the young man down in one move, but he didn't _want_ to. It would not only ruin whatever cohesiveness he hoped they would have, but it would be a waste of resources.

After a minute more, Tsukune finally nodded his head, the barest of smiles touching his lips, "You're a good man then, Pagos. I'm pleased to hear you say that; every being deserves to be treated with respect. If they are denied that, then..." He stopped, unable to finish as he felt the darkness in his own heart start to stir, memories of his childhood flashing momentarily within his mind. He completely missed Pagos' own downcast eyes that had, moments before, been staring at him in muted surprise.

The Headmaster cleared his throat a moment later, returning his charges' attention to him, "**I am pleased to see you getting along, however I would like to get the two of you on your way. As I was saying, the reports state that his arms are some form of a blade – some have it as an insectoid form, others as bone. His other arm seems to form anywhere from four to ten tentacles, however when asked if they resembled an octopus, half replied that it did and the other half replied that they appeared as fleshy vines.**"

"Do you have anyone matching this description on file, Mikogami-sama?" This time, it was Pagos who spoke, and his question garnered a grin from the white-robed Headmaster who fanned the one paper In his hands out to reveal five, each showing vastly different students, all of them boys. Pagos narrowed his cerulean eyes, never noticing the slight chill in the room.

The brunette in the room glanced around, a slight chill being easily suppressed. He momentarily wondered what the central air-conditioning system was set to regulate the school's internal temperature at, and then wondered if the Headmaster even _had_ such a system running into his office. He realized that, despite the lack of light, he had found very little evidence of air vents anywhere in the dim room. Eventually brushing it off as inconsequential, he decided that the situation at hand warranted far more attention.

"**Five students here match the descriptions given. In all the reports, only two have given a hair color, and only one a height reference. As made obvious by the files, these five are the only Outcast Ayashi that registered their youki formation as some incarnation of either of the two mentioned appendages, in addition to having the green hair mentioned.**" With this information explained, the Headmaster drummed his fingers twice against the desk, passing the papers to his newest _junior employees_. He chuckled at the thought, truly amused at the prospect. '_**Ah, if only my two **_**associates**_** could see me now, heheh.**_'

Tsukune and Pagos each grabbed the stack of papers, Tsukune taking the extra sheet as he sat back down and looked them over. No-one that he knew or had seen in his time here matched the files. Allowing a small breath to escape, taking along with it his mild sense of an impending headache, the young Aono glanced over at his partner who was already on the second page of his.

He was about to chalk it up to a loss, when the armored male stopped and seemed to peer at the paper with a renewed vigor. Regarding the teen that still remained standing with a curious eye, he felt the urge to question what had caught the mysterious figure's attention, "I presume you've found something of importance?"

No answer came in a verbal sense, but the leather-clad man held the file out, his gloved thumb pointing to one particular detail that was in the file. Under a section whose title was blocked out by his thumb, there was a single sentence that was printed in bright red ink, 'Member of the Photography Club. Under supervision from Club Administrator Ukitaka Asuka, and Club president Toshiro Hitachi.'

'That _name_,' Tsukune felt the cogs in his mind begin to turn as flashes of fairly recent memories began to flash, until they stopped on one particular incident a little under two months prior. Specifically, the day they had to find a club to join. He felt his mouth press into a thin line, though the minute tightening of his fists, nor the way his muscles seemed to tighten some managed to hide the fact that he was angry.

Pagos eyed the brunette that would be his partner with a look of scrutiny. Across from them, the Dark Lord, who's status was successfully hidden from those that attended his school, chuckled wordlessly as he watched the tension in the air and the growing aura of darkness that seemed to froth and bubble around Tsukune in much the same way as one would imagine magma to do in a stasis. He had great potential, potential for good and evil, but great non-the-less.

"So," Tsukune spoke, whatever emotions had managed to seep into his voice since Pagos had arrived was gone, adding a distinct chill to the air that was not due to any chilling of the air, itself. Pulling the paper away from the brunette, the hooded teen eyed 'Karasu' warily, unsure if he should be on edge; unsure if a fight was going to ensue due to his new 'partner's' change in attitude. After-all, he knew next to nothing about the brunette, and when dealing with an Ayashi that was an extremely large blank sheet, that was potentially fatal.

The young man who had chosen to be known as Karasu reigned in his outwardly exuding anger, finally realizing just how much pressure his youki was causing as it escaped him. Though he wasn't as calm as he'd have liked, he felt that his mood was stable _enough_ and made to finish what he began to say, "You know of Hitachi Toshiro as well... What link does he have to this boy?"

Though he was silent for a few moments, the tell-tale electronic click signified the other teen's decision to speak, "Personal issues not-withstanding, Hitachi-san has been a source of harassment for many people. To add to that, Ebisu-san is the younger brother of Toshiro-san, and twice as willing to _get his hands dirty_."

Narrowing his eyes, Tsukune eyed the name of the green haired teen that was printed in large Gothic letters at the header of the page, below Youaki Gakuen's seal. Sure enough, the name Hitachi Ebisu stood out prominently. That was perfect; the slimy oily-haired bastard that had tried to snap pictures of Kurumu and Moka had a _brother_.

'I did promise to give him a colonoscopy... I suppose it is only fitting that the younger take after the elder.' "Hn," Tsukune grunted aloud, and soon released a long breath he had been holding, uncurling his arms from around his chest and interlacing his fingers on the Headmaster's desk. His tongue prodded his lower lip as he thought of a few scenarios.

Beside him, Pagos merely observed his partner's odd actions with a calculating stare, though it was extremely difficult to tell from behind the murky-gray lenses. After nearly a minute of pure silence, the Headmaster spoke up, "**You may take the files with you and look up any lead you need to. I simply request that the two of you not act until there is enough proof; doing so may allow him to lay low. I would appreciate this being tied up by the end of the week.**"

The two standing on the opposite side of his desk nodded, 'Karasu' bowing slightly, while Pagos made the full effort, "We will do our best, Mikogami-sama" Standing silent, the brunette allowed a small smirk to work it's way onto his lips for a scant moment before it faded, "It shall be done, Mikogami-sensei."

Allowing a grin to split his shrouded face, the Headmaster chuckled, "**I am certain you will. Remember; do not kill him unless there is no other way to resolve the situation. If you can manage to incapacitate him, bring him to me and I will...**_**insure**_** he doesn't **_**escape**_**.**"Both students before him successfully resisted the urge to shiver from the possible implications of the man's words and turned to leave; one ready to get the work over with, and the other with many thoughts on his mind.

As they reached the door, they were beckoned by the Heamdaster before they left, "**Pagos-san, Karasu-san... You would do well to resolve whatever impending battle occurs quickly; the Public Safety Commission tends to get...**_**involved **_**in things which they've otherwise ignored lately. You may go.**"

Giving their acknowledgments to the priest-like man, Karasu proceeded to open the door and allow Pagos to exit first, before he followed immediately after. Within the dark confines of the Headmaster's Office, the white-robed man cackled softly, his voice becoming far darker than it had been, "**Let's see how you two deal with this; perhaps you will have your uses, after-all.**"

Half an hour later found Karasu - also known as Tsukune - and Pagos sneaking through the skeletal trees just on the far side of the swimming pool's changing rooms. This was the last reported sighting of the molester, and the spot that the pair believed their best chances of finding any clues and potential evidence lay.

The silence was interrupted when a very low hiss, followed immediately by a near-inaudible click sounded, "Karasu-san. Do you find it odd that we have checked almost a square mile, and yet we've found nothing; no displacement of the soil, no nicks or cuts into the wood, nor any residue of any form?"

Across the way, 'Karasu' nodded silently. He was thankful that Pagos was able to change the volume of his vocal emitter, and that it was able to throw his voice to a moderate extent. It made him slightly miffed that he had no way of doing the same, a fact that made him resolve to do something about that. Getting back to the moment, he replied after checking an odd crenelation in one of the tree's trunks, "It is far too much of a coincidence; I feel as though someone has cleaned this area."

From his partner, no reply, but that was fine as he had more to add, "However, there may be a small clue here. It appears that in his haste, whoever was cleaning this area left something behind. There is little question as to it being the blade. I am unsure as to the material of the manifestation; insect carapace in nature, or bone. Hn."

Almost as soon as he had finished talking, he felt someone intruding dangerously deep into his personal space. It was with only a small shift of his chocolate eyes that allowed him to see Pagos's hooded and masked visage no more than six-inches from his own face. Feeling a bit claustrophobic at having someone he barely knew this close to him, especially after..._everything_, 'Karasu' took a deep breath and decided to explain the concept of personal space to his partner after this was over.

His eye began to twitch as the armored teen only got closer in his attempts to look closer at the tree. Poking and prodding at the three-inch long nick in the dead bark of the tree, the leather-clad young man made a low hum in thought before his vocal emitter popped online, "I'm not an expert in anything relating to bones or insects, but if I were to hazard a guess, I'd have to say that this is bone marrow – dried bone marrow."

A slight frown tugged at Karasu's face, but he nodded regardless. So, he was right; it had been bone-marrow. He wasn't certain, as the biology of an Ayashi was likely as close to a human's as it was separate. He wasn't sure what differences could come from certain Ayashi in comparison to humans; while it was a slim chance, it existed that they had _nothing_ close to the biology of a human. He was certain that there existed some monsters that fit into that category. Dismissing this chain of thought, he spoke up, "I thought as much; it has the same texture and scent, but I wanted a second opinion."

Suddenly Pagos was gone from his side, and he noticed his partner was now several feet away with the copies of the student files in his gloved hands. Standing up with his second-nature grace, the brunette teen walked over to the only other person in the vicinity, a mild curiosity in his otherwise impassive eyes, "What has your ire, Pagos-san?"

Wordlessly shaking his head, the hailed Ayashi looked over to the chocolate-eyed young man. The electronic click was heard, "Looking over these files again, I've noticed something; it cannot be Ebisu Hitachi." Seeing the look of pure boredom that seemed to stare back at him from the mostly-emotionless brunette, he took it as his cue to explain, "Ebisu Hitachi's arm has been registered as a 'machete' blade, originating from a winged carapace."

Nodding in understanding, Tsukune felt a minor flash of irritation before it was gone, though his mind was working over-time. The two stood in silence for a moment; Pagos going back to checking over the files after the first few seconds. Meanwhile, the brunette thought of everything he had learned in his months at Youkai Academy; everything he had ever over-heard, everything that was taught in Health, and felt confident in his reassurance. Inclining his head just a fraction, he muttered, "We will still keep him in mind. Is it not possible for some insects to go through metamorphosis, or to change their bodies? Despite being weaker, and unable to change the form his youki first emerged as, I believe it entirely possible to change the _breed_ of his appendage."

Suddenly seeing where his partner was going with this, Pagos agreed, "Mm, You make an excellent point, Karasu. You believe him to have changed the structure to something resembling bone, then?"

His eyes shifted as he looked off into the distance, a sudden summer wind blowing through the trees as whipping at his hair and clothing, leaving a feeling of calm behind for a scant second. Karasu felt the armor donning man's eyes on him and answered his inquiry, "Perhaps not bone. It is entirely plausible that there exists an accomplice, wouldn't you agree?"

"But," A small sigh left him as he briefly glanced side-long at the leather-obscured teen, building on his previous statement, "I digress; I believe that they may be two with similar manifestations – perhaps the brothers, themselves – and in such a case, they would likely switch up their roles, often." After a moment, 'Karasu' continued to voice his thoughts, "Adding to the possibility that Ebisu - let alone this potential accomplice - is capable of mildly altering the type of material their arms are made of leaves far too much in the way of variety..."

"We will simply have to follow them, try to find any evidence that points to his involvement." Pagos finished for him, earning a silent nod from the thoughtful brunette. Said brown-haired male seemed to stare off into the distance, where the changing room and the pool were but a colorful blot in the gray and light brown sea of floral corpses towering hundreds of feet into the air, only contrasted by the odd cloud patterns and the occasionally color-morphing sky.

A soft sigh of mild annoyance escaped the uniformed teen who shook his head. Pagos, assuming on the pure evidence he had observed, and his natural ability to understand someone's mood from their subtle mannerisms, figured that Karasu wasn't usually prone to expressing frustrations. The fact that it was coming out more than normal, something he could detect from the stressful and somewhat clumsy way he vented them, told him that his partner felt out of his element. Naturally, it was he who was the cause, but it was of little consequence; short of telling Mikogami that he had no interest in continuing in this agreement, he couldn't assist the brunette in dealing with it.

More-over, he didn't know much about 'Karasu'. He was hardly wrong about people, but there were times that he had misjudged a person... One in particular, though, 'A long time past, but... Still so fresh.' Blinking away the thought, Pagos glanced into the sky where the other teen was still glaring. He was rarely wrong, but... He hadn't seen, nor observed 'Karasu' enough to know if he was truly antisocial, an emotional wreck, or if he was simply trying to act 'cool'.

Still, one thing was glaringly certain; something was bothering him. Knowing that he wouldn't get the correct answer, but certain that a smaller truth would come, he asked, "Is there something bothering you, Karasu-san?" For a small frame of time, no words were exchanged; only the howling winds of the Academy in the distance and the occasional call of a crow broke the silence. Then, "It's close to the end of third period... The best way to determine the culprits is to follow them...We should look to find them momentarily, agreed?"

Pagos blinked, almost surprised that he didn't get some kind of explanation for the other boy's annoyance. However, while it wasn't said aloud, he did manage to piece it together; Karasu didn't care to be on the mission – perhaps because of _him_, or maybe it was because he was all but forced into the situation like he, himself was – and it was grating on the other's nerves. That, and... Pagos nodded with confidence, 'He's angry, but it's aimed elsewhere, too... The molester. He wants to catch the molester before he strikes again. Admirable man.'

Karasu eyed the armor clad man across from him, his eyes narrowing a sliver with the lack of a reply. However, that was only part of it; it was the eyes boring into him that was truly annoying him. Mentally, he scolded himself once he realized his train of thought, 'I'm quite capable of keeping my cool in every situation. Why, then, am I becoming so...agitated over comparatively nothing? Hn, this is most irksome, and curious. I must meditate soon; perhaps answers will come, then.'

After a few more moments of silence, he heard the electronic click and finally received an answer. "Definitely. I propose you and I follow them from the end of third period until night has fallen, and most of the girls have returned to their dorms." Pagos simply followed the taller boy as he walked off with nary a word, keeping up with him as he picked his pace up to a brisk jog. After a moment, Karasu's bored monotone was heard, "Math, Kagome Ririko. We have five minutes. Pick up the pace."

A mute nod came from the hooded figure, though he knew the school boy wouldn't see it. For whatever emotional struggles his partner seemed to be dealing with, he had quickly garnered that he was fairly level-headed. There was a certain...eloquence that he spoke with; a particular way that he phrased things that allowed one with enough perception to tell that his mind was always thinking, always planning. Much like his own. A mute chortle left his obscured lips.

The duo quickly passed through the several hundred yards that separated the pool from the gymnasium and the adjacent track-bordered sports field. The few students that were skipping class, heading to a restroom for one reason or another, or running errands were forced to do a double-take as the green and white uniform-clad boy and his black, brown and gray armor-clad pursuer rushed past them and across their varying fields of vision. It wasn't everyday such a sight was beheld to them, and from this, many rumors would be born.

'Four, three, two...,' The teen under the guise of Karasu mentally ticked down the seconds as he and his accomplice rushed into the main building and to the '200' hall, right as the great dirge of bells rang, signaling that it was not only twelve-noon, but lunch as well. 'Karasu' glanced over his shoulder and nodded, his expression shifting from his bored deadpan to that of a thin frown of concentration.

Sticking to the plan the two of them had briefly and hastily constructed in their run, Pagos quickly left the other boy's side and hid himself somewhere upon seeing the nod. 'It begins,' Tsukune thought to himself as the doors erupted open and a sea of students began to pour out, milling about in every which way, some even bumping into him as he wasn't radiating his aura of despair or danger; it would draw far too much attention.

He didn't budge as students nudged and bumped into him, some apologizing, some insulting him and some simply ignoring his existence. It didn't bother him; he paid them little mind, as his eyes flitted between each face, studying it briefly before moving on to another, over and over again. It would have been much, much easier with the Sharingan, but, 'There's a time and a place for everything.'

As he searched every face, a simple mantra played in dull monotone within his head, a mental picture accompanying it, 'Ebisu Hitachi, five-five, one-hundred fifty pounds, dark green hair, black eyes. Mole beside left nostril.' It passed through his mind twice per second, each time encompassing at least four students. He would search each for the attributes he needed, and the moment he found them he would be on their trail.

At long last, after almost a half-a-minute, the slightly stout teen made his way through the crowds, a downcast look on his face as he was pushed to and fro in the sea of flesh. Tsukune noted this, unsure if a potential bout of depression might be responsible for his actions – if he was, indeed, guilty. It was also entirely plausible that he was a victim of some bully, but that wasn't his concern at the moment. No, he couldn't compromise his position and be made.

Staying within a small band of students the entire way, slipping in with a new group when one dispersed or changed course, he managed to keep himself no less than fifteen feet away from his mark at any time. Very few students greeted him, he noted with a mildly grim frown. Monsters and Ayashi they may be, but from what he had seen so far in his school-mates and especially in Kurumu and Moka, they still felt emotions the same as humans did, and still yearned for some form of acceptance. He would have sighed if he weren't tracking the boy, so instead he simply shook his head, 'Acceptance is easily the strongest decider of one's decisions, next only to friendship and love. Hn...'

It looked as if Pagos' and the Headmaster's assessment of how even_ suspected _Outcast Ayashi were treated was spot-on, and it left a sick pit in his stomach. It wasn't that he'd never seen this kind of thing before – discrimination; he had seen plenty of it, and that was precisely why he felt so disgusted as he watched everyone pass off someone as if they were lower than they. However, his disgust towards their blatant treatment of him did nothing to cloud his prime objective, nor the suspicion surrounding the boy; it merely allowed him to see what – if he was the culprit – may have driven him to such acts, in the first place.

One burly teen sneered the boy's way and made to rush him, but laughed mockingly in a way that also showed just how _pleased_ he was with himself when Ebisu flinched. He didn't like it, but the brunette teen stayed his hand and settled for knitting his brows together for a scant second, only to relax his features back into indifference. It was with a minor, fleeting feeling of relief that they made it to the cafeteria and Tsukune/'Karasu' broke from his 'crowd' to stand off in a corner somewhere.

He didn't bother grabbing a lunch; it wasn't even _his_ lunch period yet – his was the second session which began right after the first let out. Eying the lunch room, he couldn't help but chuckle in ironic sarcasm at just how _small_ it was when compared to the amount of students that were crammed into two lunch sessions. Either Mikogami was truly preparing them for the crowded public of most human metropolises, or he had a truly _dangerous_ sense of humor.

He almost jumped once more when a soft electronic click announced his partner's place behind him, both of them now in a darkened corner, "It is quite distracting, everyone talking and jostling about." The soft clink of metal against concrete was heard, and he assumed that Pagos had set himself up on the wall beside him. Saying nothing, Karasu stared out, his eyes still watching for any odd interactions between Ebisu and the possible 'accomplice'.

The duo stood silent in their shrouded corner for quite some time, each focusing on something different. For Tsukune, it was trying to monitor every move that the younger Hitachi brother made, despite the many blind-spots made by his school-mates and the pillars around the room. Pagos, in contrast, was casting an occasional curious glance Karasu's way, wondering what made the brunette tick and what the enigma made of this, and other, situations.

It was a rare thing, Pagos had discovered, to find an Ayashi that thought the way his partner did – and so strongly, to boot. Of course, this was only on the assumption that he _did_ feel the way he said, which with the emotions he inadvertently showed back in Mikogami's office, he did. Still, there was always a chance... A chance for something to have slipped through a crack, for something to have been misinterpreted.

The boy never moved much, his breathing barely expanded his upper body, and the muscle twitches that plagued most people when standing still only appeared to show a fourth - or less - of the apparent average rate with Karasu. Dismissing his thoughts, Pagos addressed the other male, "Karasu-san..." He barely noticed the subtle nod of acknowledgment, but continued almost as if he were unsure if Karasu _had_ nodded, "Mikogami-sama... The Headmaster... You seem to have a dislike of him, why?"

'Karasu' took in a slow, deep breath upon hearing the question. Part of him wanted to tell the masquerading figure to leave him be, to be silent and not bother asking him about things he had no business knowing. Of course, this was part paranoia and part dislike for being forced into the position of having a partner, which he supposed, wasn't to be blamed on Pagos; he was in the same boat. That established, he pushed down his desire to dismiss him and answered politely, "The Headmaster... It's not entirely that I dislike him, however I find him to be far too much of an..._unknown_ for my liking. He appears to go out of his way to instill a feeling of keeping one attached by a mere string, that you are a pawn in his game and he wishes you to know it..."

Pagos nodded, accepting his answer and comparing it to his own feelings of the men. However, it turned out that his partner wasn't quite finished yet. After wetting his lips, he continued, "Despite this, I do _respect_ the man. If my knowledge is correct, then he controls the barrier around this school – a barrier strong enough to separate the human and, at least, this world from one another. It is also he who runs and moderates – _rules_ over this school, in which Youkai and Ayashi of all types roam. One would have to be fairly powerful in pure capacity alone to keep things in order as well as he does."

'Another notch in the enigma that is Karasu,' Pagos thought, finally receiving a small glimpse into the mind of his equally silent partner, and yet he received more questions than answers. His insight though, while broaching and overlapping certain areas of his own assessment, brought to the table an angle he hadn't quite considered – the man's power. The man's power and the way in which he, at least, _seemed_ to use it.

Once more, a silence fell around the two as lunch went on. Clattering dishes and the sounds of the myriad of students chattering, yelling, and laughing amongst the warm air and the austere LED lighting that blared down overhead was taken in by Tsukune, though his focus lie steady on his mark. Still, nothing had happened of note, but then again it _was_ lunch; anything of note would be taking place outside the school in the courtyard, he imagined.

"What of you?" His question was quick and concise, but held a certain feel about it – as though it was almost a command, and yet, not. One might describe it as a compulsion. Either way, it startled Pagos who quickly pulled himself together and felt the need to answer, though he wasn't entirely sure why, "You're asking the same of me as I asked of you?"

Receiving a nod in response, he took a breath and the electronic pop sounded, "I'm not too sure. Mikogami-sama places me on edge, however he has a certain mystique about him – it allows you to almost be calm. Almost. I, too, respect him - but for slightly different reasons than your own... At some point-"

He was interrupted by Karasu giving him a side-long glance, "Do not press your comfort level; tell me as you see fit, or don't – it doesn't bother me either way. We all have our skeletons – in some form." The cold, vacant brown eyes left his vision as soon as they had come, and after a few moments of terse, surprised silence, Pagos nodded, a thoughtful expression hidden beneath his masks.

Another silence dropped over the duo, though it only lasted fro a good five minutes, when the second set of dirge-like church bells rang from the tower atop the school. Almost immediately, the entire cafeteria erupted into moving masses of bodies, accompanied by groans and shouts of disappointment, joy, annoyance, and apathy. Neither of the teens who occupied the back corner paid attention to this, as Pagos quickly vacated the area, and 'Karasu' slipped into another crowd, following as best he could, Ebisu.

It wasn't quite as easy following the slightly chubby young man this time, namely because of the way the crowds continued to disperse as they separated from one another to head to their classes. While he doubted that the green-haired first year would ever be able to sense him, that didn't mean that a sudden flicker, a name, or even a paranoid inkling wouldn't have him sudden look around and spot him. Now, while seeing him the first time wouldn't elicit any suspicions immediately, Tsukune/Karasu had learned early on – and it had only been enforced with strategy books and Asura's training – that you always wanted to hold onto your one 'chance card' as tightly as possible – for that _one_ rainy day, as it were.

Switching from one crowd into another, he swallowed down a nervous lump and breathed a sigh of relief; not even ten seconds prior he had spotted Kurumu and Moka walking together, both trying to ignore the gazes and passes that were sent their way courtesy of many of the male populous, a fact that irked him; he didn't want either of his friends – ignoring the _hiccup_ in their closeness for Moka – to be harassed in such a way. Yet, he could do nothing at the moment lest he lose his mark. Resolving to make it up to the girls, at some point, he pressed on.

Climbing a set of stairs, and dodging a young man who was chasing after some girl – the both of them laughing – while inadvertently tearing through his 'group' which were already beginning to disperse, Tsukune watched the unwary boy enter another class room. He raised an eyebrow and pulled out the student's file, he found that this was Home Economics with an Aspara-san as his teacher. He remembered something about Kurumu having this class, and didn't notice the small smile slip into existence.

He waited, slowly walking extensively diverse routes through the school's main building, flashing his Sharingan to keep watch and evade anyone that was also walking the halls. Despite working for the Headmaster, he doubted that the man would be pleased if he were caught, nor would the man back him up – to do so would likely cause suspicion to set in and would also allow rumors to spill out, effectively tipping off anyone who might be a potential target at a later date.

'I would care less if it could be proven a sure thing that, should a rumor like that get out, the questionable activities would cease to be done.' Tsukune allowed himself a grim, mirthless chuckle as he let his brown eyes roam the ceiling above him. That would be nice, true... Unfortunately, such a thing would never happen; they'd simply become more covert, or go on a temporary hiatus.

As he posted himself within a bathroom upon seeing that two people were on the same floor and heading for the same hallway as he, Tsukune found himself thinking about his lack of time spent with his friends the past month or so. It was taking a toll on him, though he didn't quite see it; such was partially the reason for his inability to keep cool and calm. It would be a bit longer before he truly realized it himself, but for all his antisocial tendencies, for all his lack of words, he had grown accustomed to them being around.

'Even when I was solitary during my two-week hermitage, I don't believe I ever felt the way I am now. Granted, this is three lengths again the time, but...' His thoughts crawled to a stop as he blinked twice, realizing his thoughts. In actuality, he _had_ began to feel a strange fatigue within his mind – a stressful _something_. A feeling, or more like a headache that wasn't there, always grating at him. Now, it was more along the lines of a dull, low tone that would flare up to nails-on-a-chalkboard at random times...

It would still be a little while longer, but that realization allowed him to see the path that would lead him towards the answers and the cure for his unstable attitude and unease. He never noticed that his path was clear, and was only broken from his thoughts when the final bell rang again. Blinking in surprise that was easily kept under wraps, he quickly ran towards Aspara-sensei's classroom and waited, walking with the groups of student in a circuit, until he saw the young man exit and go towards the stairs.

As they made it outside, the dirt paths to the many locations around Youkai Gakuen – clearings, the dorms, and the red riverbed that led to the crimson lake, just to name a few – were open and inviting, but Ebisu quickly chose the most well-known path, leading back towards the boy's dormitory. The sky above him shifted from a dull yellow to a light blue over the next few seconds, the clouds seeming to shift suddenly as well to produce an eery wind that howled through the haunted graveyard that was the school's campus.

He paid it little mind, opting to cross into another group – knowing he wouldn't blend well with the gaggle of giggling girls that had just passed him by, heading faster than the group he'd just left. Seeing no-one to meld in with, he instead walked to a tree and began to quickly dart around the skeletal trunks, much in the same fashion that another person did; hiding from the sights of those they observed secretly – someone that would undoubtedly make his acquaintance, again.

Catching a glint of metal, 'Karasu' cast his eyes briefly to the side only to glimpse the silhouette of a dark, rather form-fitting leather suit melding into the shadows to the trees, small shimmers coming from the metallic slivers of iron that served as armor. His pupils contracted just a moment, before his eyes narrowed and a small smirk played into existence, 'Ah, Pagos... Quite stealthy, but not enough.'

Though he spotted him, and planned to rib the other teen at some point, Tsukune knew that had it not been for the sun reflecting off of the rather rough, unpolished metal, he would have never noticed him running to an other tree. The level of stealth that Pagos possessed was beyond that of his own, by leaps and bounds. Despite his training with Asura, the man was only a practitioner in one of the rarest martial arts forms in the world; not a ninja assassin, and while balance and flexibility were a defining force in the 'Interceptor Fist', it only helped to somewhat augment his own skills of self-taught covert abilities.

It made him feel as though he were inadequate, if he were honest, as by human standards Tsukune was nowhere near a master of stealth and subversion, but he could boast skill over most outside of those that practiced Ninjitsu and who _were_ professional assassins. As a challenge to himself, to merely test out his carefully crafted sneaking prowess, he had shoplifted a number of things in the store, exited, and turned right around and placed them back without being caught, once. He had made plans to do something similar in a more stress-inducing place, but had been unable to find such a location and refused to taint a police station with his actions.

Pagos, on the other hand, was likely closer to being _on_ the level of the level of the listed groups... Possibly even surpassing a few of them. He moved with a balance and athleticism that Tsukune truthfully envied. He had little in the way of training himself to become more flexible as his mentor, with the apparent injuries and his age, had lost the ability to move quite as well as he claimed to have been able to in his youth. Coupled with that, he had found it near impossible to demonstrate to Tsukune the proper way to build such things up, and so Tsukune was forced to simply master what little he had on his own – which he did.

Closing his eyes for a brief second, the young man felt a sudden rush of phantom pain course through his body. It started from his right eye and ran down his spinal cord like a slithering serpent of lightning, dispersing upon hitting his tail-bone. His hand twitched as the raw burning pain quickly cooled into a soft feeling of prods and pricks with a dull toothpick _within_ his eye. As he opened it, he noticed his vision was tinted red, and immediately used his instinctual grip on his youki to move it from his eye, but found none.

As soon as the wetness was made apparent by a sudden breeze, he raised his hand up and gently swiped at the warm liquid. Pushing his finger tips together in a an almost hypnotic way, the young Aono gazed in concern and mild horror at the red blood that had gushed from his eyes and was now staining his cheek red as it dribbled onto the dead ground below.

The air hit his eyes, and within seconds all cognitive thought failed him for a moment that seemed, to the unfortunate Sharingan host, an eternity of pain. A brief flash of someone, a faceless humanoid with no features beyond the flesh colored hand that reached out towards him, appeared. The body fizzled out, leaving only the hand, an oppressive aura pushing Tsukune down to his knees. Pain erupted in spades, beyond any he had ever known as he felt three pints of pressure violate the socket.

A silent scream of agony erupted from his mouth, darker, thicker blood of a richer crimson color gushed forth from his damaged and penetrated socket as he felt the fingers curl around the fleshy tissue within, and then... _Yank! _Vomit and bile rushed up to his throat, but only a gargled hiss of pain escaped as his vision was cut in half, one side going dark as a cold, serrated blade of cool air invaded the empty, bloody cavity.

Tears threatened to fall, but he kept his teeth grit, not letting any sound escape as the contents of his stomach leaked from his gaped mouth. His lungs burned, absent of all air and seemed to only fill with burning glass and sand each time he tried to inhale. His one good eye glared at the dispersing phantom hand, holding in it's palm the bloody-white orb that once belonged. On sheer subconscious willpower, his hand reached out, grasping for something that it could never reach. As his vision faded, a single tear rolled down his cheek. Darkness was all he knew as the world shifted, and then...

Gasping aloud, his perception of the world swirled around and rocketed back into proper place. His heart beat in his chest, like a man possessed and his lungs burned, but.._he could breathe! _As the world around him began to level out and stop swimming, he noticed that no-one had really moved beyond their previous places, but they were still moving incredibly sluggishly, as though the world had slowed to a crawl. He blinked, finally realizing that his eye was there and he could see out of it, though the phantom pain still burned silently, not near as bad as it had been.

Reaching up to his cheek, he felt something wet on his fingertips and with trepidation looked at it, rubbing it between his fingers again as the dizzying feeling of deja-vu rushed through his being. Mixed with a trail of slick tears was the pinkish tint of blood... He hadn't just imagined that – well, not all of that, it seemed. 'What _was_ that!?' He asked himself, horror-stricken as nervous jitters wracked his body into a near-numb state.

Noticing that he was standing upright, he tried to take a step only to feel the world flip around. His knees, he noticed, were wobbly and unbalanced. Grunting beneath his breath as he focused his youki in much the same way he would for a _flash-point,_Tsukune instead simply locked it there and allowed it to radiate a boost of strength and stability to his joints. Letting out a calming breath he quickly reestablished his mask, as best he could at the moment. His dilated brown eyes looked around, the effects of whatever had just happened barely visible in them, though the confusion was evident, 'What... Was I doing?'

Walking out into the hallway, he made his best attempts to navigate through the crowds while he observed every little thing. He didn't understand why everyone he looked at was moving so slow, nor why a select few of them were giving him such shocked looks. That is, until he looked in the window, 'My... Sharingan! Damn it all, it's been active this _entire time!?_'

Quickly severing the youki flow to his optical points, his reflection's own pair of pinwheel eyes faded into the chocolate brown that acted as their guise, where they waited to emerge once more. Satisfied with his eyes being disguised once more, the brunette scion of the far-off Uchiha turned only to see himself getting glances from several students as several more whispered to one another. He uttered one one seeing all this, "Fuck."

Now, if his secret wasn't entirely out, then he was at least going to have to field one hell of a rumor mill. He doubted that his use of an aura projection would cause the impending mob of curious students and school-mates to leave him the hell alone. Letting loose a sigh, he suddenly remembered his mission as a head of green hair disappeared as the field of view of the hill he stood on swallowed the young man up in his descent.

"This is all too much to deal with," He grumbled to himself through clenched teeth, making his way to wherever it was that the young man had run off to now. Unfortunately, as he came to the edge of the hill and his vision panned along the downward slope and the landscape below, there was not a single pudgy, green-haired boy wearing the default uniform of green, white, and khaki.

Disappointment quickly stabbed into his chest with a dagger, which was then jarred and twisted back and forth by his pride. This was followed by a swift kick in the gut courtesy of his sense of duty to himself. Still, in spite of his subconscious mental assault on his person, his brown eyes checked every spot, every single fraction of an inch to pin-point the boy. When that failed, he continued down the hill and checked behind the trees and bushes, as stealthily as his still-shaken form allowed; a fairly decent amount in most circles, but to Tsukune it was simply dreadful. His thoughts could only shift to how much better Pagos was than he was.

Still, he supposed that if Pagos were so good at stealth, there was clearly some method to the Headmaster's madness in setting them up together as a team; perhaps his hand-to-hand skills weren't that great. 'Doesn't matter,' Tsukune decided, a look of deep thought that turned to conviction in less than a second, 'I'll get better; find some way to improve my skills beyond this near-plateau on which I find myself... In order to keep myself ahead of my adversaries...'

Images of Saizou in his massive form beating him as he fought tooth and nail with all the power he could muster, before finally casting an illusion on him, giving him enough time to drive him to the cliff's edge and send him to his doom. This was followed by Kurumu who had manged to cast an illusion on him, powerful enough that he couldn't escape his mind and had to rely of the voice's avatar to help him escape, only to find himself attempting to aid in Moka's murder – 'A murder that would be returned unto me' He thought bitterly while remembering the silver haired, arrogant version of the overly sweet girl, simultaneously torturing Kurumu whilst standing over him, single handedly driving him into his grave with ease. This was followed by his massive battle with the mermaids, each one a very minor threat in theory, but together making the entire fight one hell of a cluster-fuck of madness...

Then, there was _Ginei Morioka_, the perverted and despicable werewolf. He had trounced him – not nearly as bad as Moka had done, with her far superior strength in comparison to Gin's higher speed; something he _could_ match, mostly. Catching him off guard the way he did, it was terrible and a shame that he had allowed himself to be defeated in that way; he could have seen it coming, but he didn't have a chance to stop it – _why?_ Not only had Gin beaten him, but he had beaten Moka and nearly _killed_ Kurumu... While Moka's complete decimation of his body was a sobering moment to show where he stood in power, Gin's trouncing of all three girls showed him just how dangerous and powerful the beings in this place could be...

They were all so..._weak_.

His teeth grit together, and he never noticed as a familiar face walked up beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder. The electronic hiss barely emitted the sound, but by that time Tsukune had spun around, lost in his angered thoughts about Gin, Moka, everything... His hand gripped Pagos' shoulder painfully, and before he realized what was happening as he slowly came to, he had the armored teen belly-up in the air, his knee in position to destroy his sternum – had the armor not been in the way. Thankfully, he calmed himself, but couldn't cool the look of shock from his face as he glanced between his partner of a day and his own hands, wondering why he had reacted in that way.

For his part, Pagos merely brushed the incident off – literally, wiping imaginary dirt from his spaulder and once again the hiss-click of his electronic emitter signaled his impending words, "I apologize, Karasu-san... I didn't mean to disturb you while in thought. I merely wanted to let you know that Ebisu Hitachi has arrived in his dorm, but I wasn't able to find him again once he went to the restrooms."

A vacant stare accompanied the chocolate eyes in their quest to bore a whole into Pagos's face-mask. His eyebrow twitched one, perhaps in annoyance, perhaps in bemusement – maybe a little of both, he didn't know. Flecks of emotion ghosted into being for mere moments beneath the surface of his brown pools, most of them as incomprehensible as they felt within himself, but there seemed to exist a sort of annoyed bemusement. Eventually, a chuckle burst from his mouth, surprising the both of them; Tsukune who felt embarrassed, and Pagos who looked at 'Karasu' in a peculiar way – his eyes surprisingly hidden within his lenses.

Blinking, the brunette teen narrowed his eyes when he noticed the slightest movement in the hooded teen's shoulders, as well as a near inaudible _something_... It sounded like... 'Is Pagos laughing at me?' His mental deadpan inquired rhetorically, as he watched the other man slowly regain his constitution. Eying the teen, Tsukune let a small smile twitch almost imperceptibly onto his face, "You're alright, Pagos..."

The duo stuck around the dorms for a while longer, patrolling the perimeter of the dorms to ensure that Ebisu wouldn't try to head out on an ill-gotten quest for a woman's touch. After nearly an hour more, the pair decided to call it a night and went their separate ways; Tsukune going into his dorm room to change into cleaner clothes, while Pagos went off towards the Academy, his words expressing a need to find something he had forgotten.

After changing and eating a small snack, Tsukune left his dorm room with a wary eye cast about for any signs of the younger Hitachi brother. Between his personal thoughts, and his focus on keeping an eye out for his mark, he completely missed the figure of near-alabaster skin peaking hesitantly from around a far-off tree. A head of violet hair, and deep, light blue eyes peering at him as a tiny smile curved onto her lips.

**Alright. Two things to bring up, and then you're free to go from my dungeon of awesomeness. The first: The next chapter will not be updated for a month -at least. The reason is that I've sorely fallen behind on another project of mine and desire to catch up on it so that I might feel comfortable posting it in the near future. The second: I am prepared to expose the identity of Pagos to a single (1) person – or give a virtual cookie to the one(1) who guesses it. Send Guesses via PM – those sent in Reviews will be void.**

**Now, with that done, I bid thee adieu.**


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